Life happens. It is a very indiscriminate thing. It happens to each and every one of us. No one can escape it. It is sometimes very difficult to navigate through, but once you do, breathing becomes easier. The effects of life happening change like the seasons. At one point, you could be in the season of summer, where everything is warm and cozy. Other times you could be in the the season of winter, where things are cold and icy. Then there is the season of fall where things are falling and dying or you're in the season of spring where everything is coming back to life. Each warrants a different response. The tough part for us is to recognize what season it is that we are in. I know that for many, myself included, this is both the season of fall and spring. There are things in our lives that are falling away or coming to an end, while at the same time other things are beginning. We often end up in the "place of in between" and that leaves us floundering a bit until we can get our footing sure. Personally, I know that I am in a season where what I did vocationally is taking on a new expression. In like manner, my home is also taking on a new expression as well. With a son out on his own and a daughter about to be, both out of school and in the workplace, facing the empty nest syndrome, life can be a bit disconcerting. But it is there that we MUST remember the one constant in the midst of all of it. That is, the promise that God has of having plans for our lives that are for good, not for bad, to give us a future and a hope. But when you are in the place of in between, an intense battle ensues. It is the battle for the promise. For those who strive to live life according to the word of God, no matter how imperfectly, they strain to hear what the Spirit of God is saying regarding their lives at that time. And when they believe they have heard a word from the Lord, and the timing seems to match up with the promise, they take a step out of what was toward what will be. The thing is, during the transition process we have one foot in what was and one foot in what will be and are stuck in the middle until the other foot leaves the old and joins the foot that is in the new. That can be a really tough time, which is why you must war for the promise you heard from the Spirit of God as you step out. Never forget that the enemy ALWAYS has a "hath God said" up his sleeve. And if he can get that question to take root in our hearts, he can totally dismantle our faith, which is the anchor that keeps us in place. My point is this: Recognize what season you are in and respond accordingly. How will you know what is the correct response? You will know as you listen to the Spirit of God and trust that His heart and desire toward you is nothing less than YOUR good. If we can hold securely to that truth, it will make our transitions from one location to the other a lot more confident, even in the midst of trials, because the trials will most definitely come. But if you truly believe you have heard from the Lord, there is nothing you can't step into that He will not either confirm or redeem. You are safe with Him at ALL TIMES and ALL SEASONS, even when it doesn't "feel" like it. So the word for us today is "keep on holding on to the promise He has given you and DO NOT surrender it to the hands of the enemy." There is success waiting for us if we just take the step that God has confirmed in our hearts. Go for it! Greg
