A New Season: The Pain of Transition

September 7, 2015 by shellyafaust@gmail.com

Some seasons can serve as a transition between two other seasons. Kind of like the end of the old and the beginning of the new all smashed together doing the necessary work to bring fulfillment of what’s to come. A connecting or bridging of seasons.

And transition, at least for me, doesn’t always make one feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

For my fellow mamas, let’s be real. Words like intense, hard-to-breath, crazy pressure, exhausting, frustrating, overwhelming, What was I thinking? And I can’t do this may pop into your head. Yes?

Now, if someone could just get us an epidural.

But life doesn’t offer epidurals.

Some might suggest the Holy Spirit serves as such but I would suggest He’s more like a nurse or doula. Sometimes we have to feel the hard stuff, push through the pain and learn to trust in the face of difficulty. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who offers comfort, support, and guidance. (Of course, He is SO MUCH MORE and also empowers us to do what we cannot do on our own.)

Aside from labor, transition is defined as the movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc. to another. Often in a movie, we’ll hear cool transitional music or sound effects to help us prepare for the next scene. In real life, however, we are not always afforded that luxury, are we? We can slide into change gradually or be faced with it suddenly and unexpectedly.

I always find it helpful to expand and expound on whatever word I’m studying. Let’s look at some synonyms for the word transition.

development
growth
shift
transformation
realignment.

Sometimes the new place God is requiring of us involves the hard work of growing and shifting and transformation and realignment. Which in turn can feel lonely and involve isolation and correction and the hard labor of birthing and the uncovering of wounds so that healing can begin.

We don’t always hear about or see these times in others’ lives. We see the pretty stuff. Transition and seasons of growth don’t make good Instagram pictures.

But it’s in times like these we learn to dig deep wells. We discover that Jesus is enough no matter what we’re facing and He makes whole what the world sometimes breaks apart.

A faith refined in the fire of adversity produces a faith that stands, a faith that can be trusted, and a faith that learns to give thanks and see God in every season.

Seasons of pressing can forge a faith of steel.

So, if you’re in a hard season or a time of transition, press in, dig deep, don’t give up.

It’s in the waiting and the transforming and the developing that perseverance learns to prevail. It’s here that patience finds its legs and a heart learns to listen well. If it will.

Not every season or transition is smooth and chronicled in public (or even private) celebration. There can be lonely and there can be questions and there might be struggle. Let the Holy Spirit support you, comfort, comfort, guide, and empower you. Trust God in these times of growth and development and transformation.

Transition doesn’t last forever but it will come again. Because if we stop changing, we become stagnate. We stop growing and becoming.

If we refuse the process, we forfeit purpose.

And you probably know this, but in case you don’t or you need a reminder: God created you with purpose, on purpose, and for purpose.

Don’t be afraid of the hard stuff. Contrary to public opinion, there will be times that are more than we can handle. The good news is God can handle anything. And when we find ourselves at the end of our own strength and saying things like, “I can’t do this,” may His grace and power remind us that – together – we can.

Your turn to talk:

Are you currently in transition? A hard season?
How has God sustained you in times of difficulty?
Share a scripture you’ve held on to in a time of adversity.

Scriptures:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. – Romans 8:18

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

-Jeremiah 17:7-8

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

-Isaiah 41:10

***Congratulations to Debi Schuhow! You are the winner of last week’s giveaway! Please send your address to shellyafaust@gmail.com.

If you missed our previous posts in this series, #ANewSeason, you can catch up here:

To Obey or Not to Obey

September 4, 2015 by shellyafaust@gmail.com

Y’all, it’s Friday! That is worth celebrating, right? Yes! So, how about another giveaway? This time, it will be a surprise! (Who doesn’t love surprises??) Everyone who leaves a comment today will be entered to win a surprise, Fall-themed gift from me.

On Wednesday, we discussed different Seasons of Nature and Life and talked a little about hearing God’s voice. Today, I want to continue on the subject of hearing God’s voice and also give you an example from my own life of a time God spoke to me and how I responded. I’m considering sharing a personal story along these lines here every Friday. What do you think? My purpose and hope is that your faith will increase and that you’ll maybe even find nuggets of wisdom and learn what not to do as I share my mistakes and/or confess my (gasp) disobedience.

So, we talked about the importance of recognizing prompts from the Holy Spirit and listed some of the various ways God still speaks to us today:

A still small voice
A confirming word
Scripture
A song on the radio
Personal prophecy
A strange coincidence (that isn’t really a coincidence)
Through other people (mentors, friends, leaders, pastors, strangers)
Dreams

The tricky thing about hearing God’s voice – no matter the avenue – is that we can choose to heed it and obey or ignore it and disobey. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably done a little of both.

Many years ago, I knew (inner knowing) God was asking me to lay some things down (volunteer obligations, ministry responsibilities, etc). Some I was quick to surrender while others, not so much. Among other things, I had been working for seven years as a ministry coordinator for an evangelist from Australia who also had become a spiritual dad to me. I could not believe God would ask me to surrender this, too, so I held on to it for several months (maybe even closer to a year) past its expiration date.

When we hold on to an assignment that is no longer ours, we not only miss out on what God wants to do next in our lives but we also prevent or delay someone else from taking ownership of their next thing (our old assignment = someone else’s new assignment).

During these months of trying to hold on to this place (old season) that no longer belonged to me, I was miserable. The grace I once had to do my job well and with much favor melted away in the face of my disobedience. Even the simplest task became increasingly difficult. I couldn’t sleep at night. Anxiety sat on my chest with crushing force. When I finally surrendered, peace and joy immediately returned. I was sad emotionally because resigning felt like (and was) a personal loss for me, but all was well once again with my soul.

God’s blessings in obedience are far greater than anything He asks us to give away.

Even when we don’t understand.

As I look back over this time, I can now see what God was doing. Not only was He moving me out of this place and into a required season of isolation before my next phase of ministry began, but He was also moving someone else into the position I left as part of her next phase. My exit created her door of entrance.

Our decision to obey or disobey not only affects us but also directly affects others.

We are all connected in this Kingdom-building mission.

And if I had stayed where I was, remained in an expired season (because we can choose to remain), I would not be where I am today. I would have missed out on a plethora of God-gifted relationships and connections all over the United States and forfeited opportunities that only came because I surrendered something good and trusted God to do something great. I chose to lay down the comfortable and familiar and follow God into the unknown.

We don’t always understand what He is doing, but He is a God we can trust. He is always good. He is always for us.

Your turn to share:

Has God ever asked you to surrender something you wanted to hold on to? Has He asked you to give something away as a requirement for leaving an old season or a prerequisite for entering a new season? How did you respond?
What do you feel is your biggest struggle in letting go? Fear? Comfortable/familiar place? Uncertainty? (We’ll discuss some of these over the course of this month’s conversation.)

Seasons of Nature and Life

September 2, 2015 by shellyafaust@gmail.com

Hi friend! I’m so happy you stopped by today! This month we’ll be discussing the topic of A New Season and would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. If you’re not sure how this all started or why I chose A New Season for our theme, you can catch up HERE.

Coincidentally (or not), I started a study of Genesis this week with the First 5 app from Proverbs 31 Ministries. I’m sure you can guess what jumped out to me as I was reading chapter 1 on Monday.

“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years.” Genesis 1:14

God set the natural seasons in order in the first days of creation. If we take time to study them, we will notice an order of progression and change that parallels our own lives, physically and spiritually.

Spring – usually listed as the first season because it is the time of birthing, the season of new life, new beginnings.
Summer – a time of warming and growth.
Fall or autumn (my FAVORITE time of the year!) -boasts of warm colors and full tables, a time of harvest and gathering. A time of reaping and hearts over-flowing with gratitude.
Winter – the season of hibernating bears and rest from the harvest. A season when that which was birthed in spring often dies.

And the cycle repeats.

Are you beginning to see the parallel?

In every season there is an awakening and a laying down, a letting go and a holding on, a releasing of something old and a capturing of something new.

Changing from one season to another always involves an adjustment in some area of our lives – a slight right, a hard left, an about face. There is a remodeling, a re-positioning, or a restructuring taking place as we leave the old and enter the new.

Without change, life can become dull, stagnated, and unable to produce fruit. This does not mean everyone will move geographically, change churches, or hop from job to job. Change often happens internally, in the secret chambers of the heart or the private channels of thought. For example, we enter a new season that involves a shift in thinking, a transforming of beliefs, a deeper knowledge of God, or a reworking of inner desires and passions.

But change can also happen externally. Some seasons are more obvious like the stages of life marked with age and maturity. Other seasons we walk through involve education, jobs, ministry, marriage, parenting, friendship, and where we live. We may find ourselves at the end of a season at our job, home church, or community service. We may feel a tug at our heart for a new city, region, or even country.

We have seasons of fruitfulness and barrenness, illness and health, grief and joy, prosperity and lack. Some seasons are marked with celebration and victory while others include loss and defeat. Some seasons are busy while others are spent waiting. Some involve a pouring out of ourselves until we feel there is nothing left and others require a digging in or a refilling until we are overflowing.

Change in every form and stage can be exhilarating, uncomfortable, exciting, or terrifying.

No matter what season of life we are in or leaving or moving into, the Life-Giver sustains us and brings us out to begin again.

God remains the Faithful One in every season of our lives.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

While some seasons come without asking, are forced upon us as natural consequences of our actions, or happen without us doing anything at all, others require an action on our part. So, how do we know when to act? How do we know when one season ends and another begins? How can we know the right time to step out of an old place and into new territory?

By paying attention and listening.

We can hear God’s voice as we learn to listen to the Holy Spirit. Part of the Holy Spirit’s job is to instruct us, guide us, warn us, and help us understand God’s will.

Have you ever felt a sense of uneasiness or unrest in a situation? Have you ever felt an urgency to pray? An internal witness to do something or stop doing something?

These prompts from the Holy Spirit are to be understood and used as guides for God’s will in our lives. They warn us of danger and encourage us to obey and submit to God’s purposes. They give us keys and strategies, red lights and green lights. They are more than a momentary gut feeling or a passing thought. They could begin as such but become much more and do not quickly go away.

The Holy Spirit is a good Helper.

We can also hear God speak in a variety of other ways:

A still small voice
A confirming word
Scripture
A song on the radio
Personal prophecy
A strange coincidence (that is not really a coincidence)
Through other people (mentors, friends, leaders, pastors, strangers)
Dreams

God can speak to us in any way, shape, or form and at any time He wants.

Today, I want to encourage you to listen for His voice. Look for it. Expect it. Prepare for it. Position yourself to receive it. Be open and willing to be led by the Holy Spirit.

How do we do this? By spending intentional time in His presence and focusing our hearts on Him.

**Since today’s introduction post was a little longer than expected, I’ll be back here on Friday to talk more about hearing the voice of God, share an example or two of a time God spoke to me about a new season, and how I responded (or didn’t).

Let’s chat:

What is your favorite season of nature?
What are your thoughts on the different seasons in our lives?
Have you heard God’s voice in moving from one season to another? Has He required an action on your part? A letting go of the old? A stepping out into the new?

Scriptures:

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (ESV)

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” – John 14:26 (ESV)

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13 (ESV)

“And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21

The Conversation is Starting SOON! And the Winner Is . . .

August 31, 2015 by shellyafaust@gmail.com

Hi friends! Last week I announced I’ll be writing around a theme for the month of September. That’s right. I’m getting organized and intentional and I’m blaming it all on Compel Training.

(Don’t know what Compel is? Find out HERE.)

So, starting this Wednesday, September 2nd, we’ll be exploring the topic of A New Season. I’ll post every Monday and Wednesday and wrap things up on the 30th. If you missed the announcement and want to read more about it, you can do that HERE .

The announcement alone caused quite a stir so it’s safe to say we will have lots to talk about. Blog comments, emails, and even a few phone calls from some of you let me know I’m not the only one who needs a little help getting out of my comfortable place and bravely going where I’ve never gone before. (And just so you know, that’s exactly what I’m expecting to happen here. We are going to help each other.) I can’t wait to get started. I hope you’ll join the conversation.

Some of you tried to put your email address in that little box to the right of this post (see it up there under the pretty pink flower banner? OR if you’re on your phone, you can find it at the bottom under the comment section) to make sure you didn’t miss a single post of our series but that little box was not cooperating. I’m so sorry about that. I have good news! Thanks to a very smart and generous friend, it is now working! If you haven’t signed up already and you’d like to, you can do that now.

Oh, I almost forgot! We had a little contest, didn’t we? I’m excited to announce the winners of the very valuable painted rocks 😉 Drumroll please!

The winner of the Pause rock is Jeanie Benson.

The winner of the Pray rock is Stacey Mendro.

Yay (insert confetti and balloons)! Congratulations, girls! Email me your mailing address and I’ll get these little guys on their way.

I’ll leave you today with some pictures from my weekend (which included a spontaneous beach trip with my daughter, Brooke, and friend, Dawn, and my Granny’s 97th birthday celebration!).

Ignore my cheesy smile in the pic with my Granny. She’s so cute I just couldn’t not post it.

And if you’re wondering about the feet, well, it’s the beach. Who doesn’t go to the beach and take a feet in the sand picture? (I just happened to take two. One in the bright Texas sun and another at sunset. Did anyone catch my Periscope of the sunset?)

Ok, now what did you this weekend?