Winning the New YearНамуна

Life Has Seasons

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about life, it’s that nothing stays the same. Am I right? Just when you get something in your life the way you like it – your furniture, your schedule, your wardrobe, or your life plan – something changes and you have to make adjustments.

It took me a while to realize that life is always going to be like that. There are seasons, and they change! The seasons of our lives are much like the passing of the natural seasons of winter, spring, summer, and fall. When you’re going through one, it can feel like it will last forever. I spent several years living in Minnesota, and around March or April, we all felt like the snow would never leave. Then, much to everyone’s chagrin, it would snow again!

But guess what – every year, spring eventually came. Sometimes (most of the time!) slower than we wanted it to. But it always came.

That’s the first thing to know about winning your year – whatever season you’re going through right now, this too shall pass. Instead of dread or discontent (or hoping it will last forever), recognize the current season for what it is – passing. Then adjust your thinking, dig in, enjoy the good things, and get the victory over the hard ones.

I often use the example of when my children were babies. I would think, “I can’t wait until they walk.” And when they did, it added new challenges to my life—for one, they no longer stayed where I put them! And they had completely different needs that I was required to meet.

Then I thought, “I can’t wait until they’re in school.” Soon enough, they were! And again, a whole new set of challenges, for them and for me.

After a while, I realized there was always going to be a new season. I was missing the fun of each season because I was focusing more on the challenges than the blessings. Don’t do that! Decide to enjoy the current season as much as you can and overcome the tough times, knowing they won’t last forever.

If you don’t like the season you’re in right now as the new year begins, there’s good news: it’s going to change. Dig into God’s Word and find promises that address your situation, then hang onto those with faith.

On the other hand, if you love the season you’re in, be sure to enjoy every moment because it too will change. Knowing how to embrace or overcome each season is key to winning your year!