‘Tis the Season of Change

At some point we all experience a change in the seasons of life, and no, I’m not talking about the leaves changing colors or the falling and melting of snow.

That phrase, “season’s of life” seems to be the most prevalent in my vocabulary as of late. I would venture to say there’s certain phases in life that facilitate and almost demand more growth than others. Sometimes we describe these events as critical points, a climax of sorts if you’re the literary type, or just a good ‘ole learning lesson maybe if you’re from rural America.

Birth, baptism, being toilet trained, the first day of school…no matter what grade you’re in, graduations…the list goes on and on. The point is, we’re designed to go through change, to live dynamic lives. So riddle me this–why is it so hard to recognize when change is good, when we need to move on from something comfortable to somewhere new? Or is this something I’m experiencing alone…don’t answer that.

Regardless, if you’re not a person of faith you probably call this notion of knowing when change is needed or good, a gut feeling. A “gut feeling” often results in a single message resonating in many capacities. By multiple people in life and various situations, at a seemingly increasingly rapid pace, I’m reminded of what’s weighing me down, holding me back from the person I’m supposed to, or want to be.

Sound familiar?

Today I made a change. I took to heart the idea that if I don’t take charge of who I am and who I’m becoming, life will make changes of omission on me and soon I’ll become someone I never wanted to be. Today I took back my life. I decided to be me on my own terms, and it was hard.

I’ve been in a state of unrest for some time now. I’ve progressed through various stages where I learned what words to use to describe my feelings, what things or people in my life were the source of those emotions, and how to work through this internally and externally.

Today I started the good-bye to a chapter of my life that has been filled with late nights, stressful weekends, and a lot of sore feet. But I also came to terms with having hard conversations with some people who care about me, letting go of people who hardly took the chance to get to know me, saying adíos to relationships that drained me, and taking absence from support groups that wanted nothing more than to see me succeed.

I’m not complete in my growth and development, and I don’t believe there’s ever a point in life where as individuals we should be entirely satisfied with the landscape we see. Wisdom tells me change is a continual process containing critical moments, some more difficult than others, as opposed to earlier ideas of one distinct turning point.

As I reflect on today’s initiative and the moments leading up to it, experience and grace has shown me, as I encourage you, simply share love. Have the hard conversations of truth with love and compassion. Don’t be weakened by emotion, but rather, be reaffirmed in your process and commitment to the continuance of growth.