We can go in and out of messy seasons. Paula Jauch offers some perspective for the process.
Elisa
Messy Seasons
By Paula Jauch
Recently I have stepped up my eye makeup game. The beige tint just ain't cutting it anymore. It's getting harder to hide the dark circles underneath my eyes even though I have tried!
It has felt like this dark season has been going on for quite some time. I do have some good days and then there are those days that are not so good. I have cried out to God to fix my situation. It has caused so much anger that I have gotten physically ill. The longer I walk with Christ, the more I hope life gets easier.
Have you ever found yourself in a season of life where you just felt like you couldn't take one more thing? Maybe you are like me and you are a person of faith and you hold onto the promises of God to get you through these hard times. But what do you do when you feel like everything is stacked against you and find yourself in a situation where you are trying to be strong, yet it is wearing on you physically, spiritually and emotionally?
I know from watching the news and hearing many other people's stories that I am not the only one going through really hard stuff. Maybe right now you are going through a health scare, an ugly divorce, or maybe a loved one is struggling with an addiction and you don't know what to do to try to help, or somebody has lied about your character with the goal of destroying your reputation.
After exhausting myself by trying to figure it all out and trying to fix what is broken, I am starting to get a few inklings of how to keep walking in this messy season.
I heard God whisper, walk deeper with me ... I didn't know what that meant at the time until I slowed down enough to ask him why was I going through this mess. Here are the whispers I am hearing in my soul:
In this season when you can't fix it and make your pain go away, trust me that I know what I am doing.
In this season I want you to release the anger and fear you are feeling in your heart to me and pray for those who persecute you so your prayers will not be hindered.
In this season I want you to learn emotional stability so you can still do what I called you to do without being tossed to and fro and without eating all the cookies.
In this season let your roots grow deep in me so that you will produce good fruit no matter what storm comes your way.
I still have a lot to learn in this season, but I'm clinging to this picture of being rooted in God from Jeremiah:
"But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit."
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)
Maybe this idea will also help you let your roots grow deep and be teachable, even in your season of struggle. I'm finding when I deepen my roots and look for green leaves, I don't need as much concealer in my eye makeup!
Paula Jauch is a motivational speaker and writer dedicated to helping others break free from life-controlling situations. She loves encouraging her audience to live a life of freedom in Christ. She is in the process of writing her first book about her own healing and recovery process to offer hope to the hurting. Connect with Paula at paulajauch.com or @paulajauch on Facebook and Instagram.