LEARN

My favorite season of the year is Autumn. I love the cooler weather and beautiful hues of the last leaves clinging to their trees. I anticipate the family gatherings of sharing great food, love and thankful hearts. Don’t get me wrong, there are blessings in all the seasons of the year: Spring’s warm sunshine and flowers blooming, ripe watermelon and swim days in the Summer, and the stillness of Winter covered with a light blanket of snow. Nonetheless, Autumn is my most cherished time of year.

As much as I enjoy the changes of fall time, I really don’t like a lot of change in my personal day-to-day life. I like to have a schedule and a routine and to know what is going to happen next. My planner is my constant companion. However, life on this earth is constantly changing. People grow older, jobs come and go, children grow up, and favorite stores close down. Change is inevitable.

Recently, God has led my family and I through some major changes. In less than a two-year time span, we left our home church, had a major income loss, celebrated a son getting married, lost a brother-in-law of 43 years lose his battle with cancer, and dealt with some intense relational issues of extended family. To be honest, this season has been one of the toughest I have ever gone through. Some changes brought happy days such as celebrating the marriage of our youngest son and his beautiful bride. On the other hand, some changes ushered in dark days where I felt I could not go on. Depression and a heaviness settled in over my heart. I was broken and even began questioning the Lord and His goodness. I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. But God never gave up on me.

One day, as I was journaling a desperate prayer to the Lord, like a small flicker of light, God reminded me that He was there, in control, still loved me, still had plans for me and HE WOULD NEVER CHANGE. At that moment, I felt hope in the midst of the valley. Peace flooded my heart as I read in Psalm 34 that God is near the broken hearted and crushed in Spirit. I remembered where it was that my Hope comes from. It was not in found in circumstances, success, health, or perfectly planned days. My hope came from the Lord who never changes. As I cried out to the Lord, opened up His Word and clung to His promises, the darkness slowly lifted. I began to make a conscious choice to get into His Word no matter how bad I felt, even if it was one verse at a time. Circumstances were the same, however, I made the choice, with God’s help, to believe HIS truth over my feelings.

During all the changes of that season, God was there. He never left me. He heard the cries of my broken heart when I couldn’t even speak a word. He saw my tears fall on my pillow as I tried to keep breathing. Our world was rapidly changing and I couldn’t keep up. It was in those darkest days, that God showed me hope that I could never muster up on my own. His love is unchanging and unfailing. His Word is an anchor as we are tossed about in this sea of life. When I can’t trust myself nor my feelings, I can trust in our steady, loving and unchanging God.

KNOW

Are you walking through a season of change? Are you struggling to find hope? I want to
encourage you to look to Jesus, the unchanging lover of your soul! He is still there and loves you deeply.

DO

Below are some ideas that may help as you travel through a dark season of the soul:

1. Make a daily list of what you are thankful to the Lord for. Even if you can only think of

one thing, it is a start.

2. Journal your feelings and prayers daily. Tell the Lord what hurts your heart and ask Him

bring healing and comfort by His Holy Spirit. Take time to listen for him to speak to your

heart.

3. Open God’s Word daily. Start in Psalm and write down any verses that stand out to you.

Write the verse on an index card and put where you will see often.

4. Reach out to a Christian friend, Pastor, or Biblical Counselor that can offer support and

prayer.

5. Get outside daily, even if only for 10 minutes. Breathe fresh air and feel the sunshine.

(or rain drops)