Beauty in Letting Go

 

I was sitting on our deck yesterday.  There was a chill in the air, and the leaves were beginning to fall from the trees.  Although my chores beckoned me inside, I could not leave the beauty in watching the leaves dance from the tallest of trees down to the green grass – covering the green in a blanket of red, yellow, and orange.  It was pure beauty.

It is hard not to relate the beauty of autumn to our lives, especially during seasons of change.  As much as folks may say they ‘enjoy change,’ when the onion is pulled back, often they find themselves ‘enduring change,’ not necessarily enjoying it.  Yet, there is beauty in the ability for us to let go of the past and focus on what is ahead.  Reflect with me on times when you may have held on to areas that were not necessarily building you up – but may have been tearing you down.  Expectations not being met, disappointment in behavior, fear of doing something new, resentment of being wronged.  These and many other scenarios can find us holding on to areas of our lives that can weigh us down.  More importantly, our ability to only dwell in the past does not leave room for us to move towards new and exciting things in our lives. 

Letting go of what pulls us down or what we may be afraid of is not necessarily giving up.   Letting go may be what we need to do to have a stronger faith in Christ.  When Jesus pulls at us to gain peace and comfort in releasing the past, we need to trust that His new things for us are far greater!  We need to have simple faith that His way and His path will be the one that will lead us to great things – things that are meant for us set by the One that knows us best!  Is it easy?  No.  We are comfortable with what we know, not what we do not know.  But it is in that uncertainty that we can rely on the One that is certain – Jesus.  He is our comfort when we are uncomfortable.  He is our known in the unknown.  He is our strength in our weakest moments.

We gain much when we let go – most of all – the ability to prepare for what is to come.  Think about our trees and their leaves for a moment.  This was so evident one autumn when an ice storm hit New Hampshire far earlier than anticipated.  The leaves had not left the trees yet and the ice came pouring on their branches.  The leaves weighed down branches so much that many of the trees did not survive.  When the leaves are gone, the branches have an easier time of surviving our harsh winters.  When we let go of the ‘baggage’ we may be holding on to, we then provide room in our hearts and souls to be filled with faith for Jesus and the ability to build on the new things we need to for our lives.

What are you holding on to?  Is it time to be like the beautiful autumn leaves and let fall to the ground what needs to move away in order to make way for the beauty God has in store for you?  Have simple faith that God will be the green grass to catch you! 

Video that complements this post:  Beauty in the Change

Dearest Jesus, help me to release the past and focus on the new things you have for my life.  Let me have simple faith that your plan will always be the best for me.  Amen!

When Seasons Change

 

In New England, the pools are being covered.  The suntan lotion is being put away.  Summer has ended.  For some folks, this change of season may seem solemn.  For me, it is that beautiful time of year – the leaves are changing, the mums are their bright colors, and the pumpkins are adorning front porches.  It is autumn.  Autumn has always been that gentle reminder for me of this beautiful verse from Ecclesiastes, one that I am sure we have heard often.  There are seasons for not only nature, but for our lives as well.  The changing seasons remind us that our lives are not stagnant; our lives are constantly changing, forever moving on the path God has created for us.

I will usually say to anyone who will listen, “I wish that autumn could be with us all year long; I don’t ever want this season to end.”  We may find the same thing in our lives when a life season has been especially good for us. We may resist changing into a new season when it presents itself.  My friends, it is those new seasons in our lives that God is preparing us for.  The change of life seasons helps us to grow, to learn, and to depend on The One that never changes – our Jesus.

Hebrews 13:8 shares, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”   This promise from Jesus provides us the comfort to know that although our seasons may be changing, and it may be uncomfortable for us, Jesus will be walking with us through each and every season.  He will guide us on the path He has created for us, giving us the blessings He wishes for our lives.  We need to trust Jesus during the changing seasons and know that what He has planned for us will never disappoint.

Yes, that season change may be uncomfortable.  It may be scary.  It may make us anxious.  What we need to rely on is the truth in Hebrews 13:8. Our lives may change, but Jesus never will.  His love endures forever!  As a child of Christ, His grace and mercies are with you each day, providing you exactly what you need.  Our job is to have simple faith that His way, and the changing season of life you may be walking in to, is where you need to be.  Changing life seasons can be difficult – having faith in Jesus’ love and guidance is not difficult. 

If this message resonates with you, you may enjoy my new book, Simple Faith for Every Season, available in soft copy and e-book. 

Video that complements this post:  When Seasons Change

Dearest Jesus, thank you for being the constant in our changing life seasons.  May your love cover any anxiousness we may experience and may your grace blanket us with hope and peace.  Amen!

Hearing in the Waiting

 

Waiting is not for the faint of heart.  Our world today, with all that we have at our fingertips to gain immediacy, waiting seems to be a ‘waste of time’ and stops us from being our most productive selves.  Think about this for a brief moment.  When we wait for the circle in the middle of our computer screens as it searches for the website we want, we can get frustrated.  When we wait for the traffic light that did not cycle appropriately and we need to wait for the ‘next’ light to make a turn, we can get frustrated.  When we wait for the person’s order in front of us to be completed at the local coffee shop because they ordered the grande flavored latte, but with a number of changes resulting in it taking twice as long, we get frustrated.

Moving our waiting to areas of a grander nature and frustration can be overwhelming.  Waiting for a health diagnosis or healing.  Waiting for a broken relationship to be healed.  Waiting for a job when we have been out of work for a lengthy period.  This is when waiting can have detrimental results for us, mentally and physically.  What does God want us to hear from Him while we are waiting?

As difficult as it may be to hear from God while we are waiting, He is trying to reach us.  Is He telling us, “You wanted patience, so I’m giving you an opportunity to be patient?”  Is He telling us, “You wanted true love, so I’m giving you time to appreciate true love?”  Is He telling us, “You wanted a job where you could spend more time with your family, so I’m giving you time to find that job?”  God talks to us in our waiting, helping us to better understand they ‘why’ in the waiting.  We need to go to Him and listen.  That can be challenging when the world around us is screaming, “Now, now, now.”  When we go to Him, and truly listen to what He is telling us, we can find peace in the waiting.

Trusting God is tough.  I am sure there are many of you that just read that and said, “I trust God – you’ve got that wrong Susan.”  Do we?  If we truly trusted God, we would not be frustrated in the waiting, for we know God has our future in His hands.  If we truly trusted God, we would give Him all of our anxious thoughts and never take them back when He does not work fast enough for us.  It is time, friends.  It is time to hear God in our waiting and trust that our lives are in no better hands than God’s hands.  We just need to have simple faith!

Video that complements this post:  Hearing in the Waiting

Heavenly Father, help me to listen to You in the waiting moments of my life.  May I hear what You are trying to tell me and trust that in the waiting Your plan will always be the be st for me.  In Your name I pray, Amen!

Peace in the Chaos

 

Everyone’s definition of peace is different.  Peace can be resting by the brook.  Peace can be sitting in your favorite chair in silence.  Peace can also be driving in the car down a beautiful side road.  Chaos also has different interpretations.  Chaos can be changed plans.  Chaos can be yelling and screaming around you.  Chaos can be traffic when you expect a smooth trip.  Peace and chaos cannot go hand in hand, can they?

In walks our verses for today.  If I was asked what my top ten verses are, my go-to verses when life gets hard, Philippians 4: 6-7 is on that list.  To me, it is the perfect meld of chaos and peace, all centered in the One who can walk us through that challenge.  The beauty of us as humans is that we are all different – not one of us is the same.  Not only does that reveal itself in how we share our talents, but also how we experience life.  Therefore, when chaos enters our life, it will look different to each of us.  Typically, chaos will bubble up in our lives to anxious moments.  Chaos does not enter our lives alone.  It enters with Jesus!  Through prayer and chatting with the One that knows us best, we acknowledge that although we may not understand why this chaos is happening, we know that He is present and can help us.  This is our opportunity to turn the chaos over to Jesus and ask for His help.

When we are able to do that, truly turn the chaos over to Jesus, in walks peace.   Peace also does not enter our lives alone.  It enters with Jesus!  In those moments of chaos when the world is screaming at us, peace may seem to be the last thing that will wash over us.  Yet, when we give it to God, He showers us with the blessing of peace.  Jesus’ peace is different than the brook, the silent chair, or the beautiful side road.  For those of you who have felt this in your lives, it is an incredible feeling.  As this scripture shares, it is incomprehensible to understand or even to explain at times.  But you know it when you feel it.  It is the moment that you know Jesus is in your corner, providing you the breath you needed to take, the calming that your heart needed, and the weight lifted off of your shoulders.    It is the peace that transcends all understanding.

Friends, chaos, and peace are extreme opposites.  We may find that in the people we meet – we could not be more opposite than the person that we come upon.  Just as God bridges the gap between chaos and peace, He also bridges that gaps found between people.  God is the common denominator – for we are ALL God’s children, made in His image.  Have simple faith that He will be there for the peace and the bridge among all of us.

Video that complements this post:  Peace in the Chaos

God, thank you for being our peace in the chaos.  May we remember to go to you always when chaos enters our life and bring us peace, the peace that passes all understanding!  Amen.

Where's My Plan

 

How I love a good plan; the kind of plan where you spend weeks preparing each detail to ensure precise execution.  Family and friends can attest to the fact that my days are filled with some sort of planning, whether it be what to do with the day, what to make for dinner and what needs to be accomplished.  Vacations?  There you REALLY need to be weary because, left to my own accord, you will see everything that needs to be seen in that city and do everything that needs to be done.

There are many great assets to being a planner (certainly from my perspective).  Stuff gets done!  Not much is left for chance, and the end of the day can mean great satisfaction.  Sadly, to admit, though, when the plan gets changed, what once was a straight line takes a detour, and the aftermath can chaotic and messy.  When those changes arise, the distraction can wreak havoc, especially with us planners!  Once again, you only need to go as far as my family and friends to know what that means for them – a Susan that is less than pleasant to be around.

I have learned a great deal in my years as a planner whose plans are detoured.  God has a better plan!  I can say with a great amount of certainty that when my plans have changed, there is goodness in the change.  Giving the change of plans over to God has been something I have had to work on.  When I say work, that is what it has been.  When the well-oiled plan is disrupted, I turn to God in prayer.  Inside I say, “Not my will, but your will be done, God.”  I may not like it, and I may stomp my feet a bit, but I have learned that His plans always have a greater purpose than my plans had.

God’s plan may not reveal itself in bells and whistles.  Traffic that I am stuck in may result in an extra praise song I needed to hear.  Detour in the actual road has me seeing God’s beauty in the side roads versus the highway.  Even deeper, the cancelled meeting led me to meet with an associate who needed a listening ear.  The dinner plans that were cancelled yielded a quiet night for me and my husband to reconnect. 

On a larger scale, a lost job can draw one towards an opportunity of a lifetime that brings greater joy.  A broken relationship can bring you towards the love of your life.  A loved one who has passed on may have been spared a lifetime of agony.  Friends, our plans are not our plans.  Our plans, yielded to God, are His plans.  My personal goal?  To ask Him to share His plan with me BEFORE I make my plans.  It certainly saves me a great deal of time (and dissatisfaction).  I am beginning the journey of asking God what He wants me to do before I start.  What is He trying to achieve?  Then it is up to me to have simple faith to listen and move in His journey.  When life does not go according to your plan, try God’s plan – it is guaranteed to be a blessing!

Video that complements this post:  Where's My Plan

Dearest God, thank you for your gentle nudging, guiding me to the plan you have for me.  May I always look to you and seek Your plan first before I make my plans.  Help me to listen and move in Your direction.  Amen!

Did this post speak to you?  If so, you may enjoy my new book, Simple Faith for Every Season, launching in October.  Stay tuned for more details or visit my website at Simple Faith For Today

What Season Are We In

 

Here we go people – we are entering my most favorite time of year!  For those of you who have been on the journey of Simple Faith for Today for over 13 years, you know it is coming – autumn!  I absolutely adore this season with all of the sights, smells, and experiences it has to offer.  September is that odd ‘in between’ month.  I want it to be autumn, but technically that does not arrive until mid-October.  In New England, we can feel autumn coming upon us, but we are not quite there yet.  We see a few leaves in the trees turning their spectacular colors, apples are ready for picking, pumpkins are in the patches, and the nights are a bit cooler.  The season is coming.

The seasons of our lives are not much different than those of the seasons around us.  There is the winter season that can be filled with trials and challenges.  The spring season may find us yearning to make positive changes.  Summer season can bring moments of resting on our laurels and not actively working on the changes we make.  The autumn season I always saw as a time of reflection and thankfulness in our lives. 

The question becomes, what season are you in?  Snow may not be around us, but you may feel you are stuck in a difficult situation that looks as bleak as a winter storm.  The newness of spring may be where you are now – enjoying the excitement of achieving something new in your life and working hard to make positive change.  Possibly you are holding onto summer for a couple more days, lulled into relaxing days, but realizing your activity to continue the positive changes you made are falling to the wayside.  Are you in the reflective days of autumn along with me, where thoughts turn to the goodness you have in your life?

It can be difficult to navigate these seasons in our lives.  As our verse for today states, for everything that we are enduring, there is a season for it.  The best news is that Jesus is there with us in every season of our lives!  He is there as the snow piles on, there for the uncertainty of new changes, there to help kick us in the pants when we need it and there as we reflect and give thanks.  Take time to decide what season of life you may be in and then ask Jesus for His help in guiding you through that season.  He is there, ready to take your hand.  All you need to have is simple faith!

If this message resonates with you, you may enjoy my new book, Simple Faith for Every Season.  It will be launching soon, and I will share more details in the weeks ahead!

Video that complements this post:  What Season are We In

Dearest Jesus, thank you for never leaving me, regardless of what season in my life I am experiencing.  Continue to hold my hand and guide my path.  Amen!

Rejoice and Mourn

 

It seems to happen more than I would like – a wonderful or happy event is masked by a challenging or sad event.  It has occurred more than I care to admit, especially during the past year.  A couple of weeks ago, it happened again.  My husband’s nephew passed away unexpectedly – sad event.  Our seventh grandchild was born, wonderful event.  Two days later a dear friend of forty years passed away unexpectedly – sad event.  Rounding things out, my last living aunt passed away the next day – sad event.

When my life turns to this type of dichotomy, it is hard to compartmentalize emotions.  Happiness can run into sadness and sadness into happiness.  It is difficult to get through the days this way.  Have you ever experienced these types of emotions?  I know I should be happy, but sadness seeps into my being.  Which way should I be feeling?

Once again, Paul provides the answer for us.  It is okay to feel both emotions – in fact it is encouraged!!  Rejoice and be happy with those you are surrounding yourself with that are rejoicing.  Mourn with those who are mourning.  There is one aspect where mourning can be rejoicing.  As Christians, we know, without a shadow of a doubt, that we will see fellow Christians in paradise one day.  We know that those who leave this earth are rejoicing in heaven.  Those who are left behind feel the pain, but those who have left us are happy in Jesus’ presence.

When my parents passed, mourning was part of my days.  Yet, when I focused on what THEY were experiencing, I couldn’t help but smile.  They were not in pain anymore.  They were not worrying anymore.  They moved to the glory of God.  Friends, it can be tough to get through days when rejoicing and mourning seem to collide.  Remember the goodness of Jesus.  He provides us the knowledge that those who mourn can also rejoice in the peace that loved ones are with Jesus.  Yes, we need to mourn.  We need to feel the sadness that death brings.  Also let yourself feel the peace that your loved one is with our Savior and they are rejoicing.

Days are still tough and memories still flood my mind with those that have moved to heaven.  I will miss them and I mourn the loss of having them in my life here on earth.  Yet, I will rejoice in the knowledge that I will see them again, with no pain and happiness abounding, when I reach them in heaven.  Rejoice with those around you that are rejoicing – revel in the goodness.  Mourn with those around you who are mourning – for we all need to feel that sadness.  Remember, that Jesus is with you in both the rejoicing and the mourning and provides us hope for the future.

Video that complements this post:  Rejoice and Mourn

Dearest Lord, thank you for being next to me in the rejoicing and the mourning.  Help me to rest in the peace of the heavenly home you have provided for us and the hope that we will all be reunited again in paradise.  Provide me the permission to rejoice in the happy events of this life during difficult times.  For Your blessings endure forever!