Day 336 - Let it Rain

"A rainy day at last. It feels like ages since we have had a full day of rain."

Living in Southern California we don't get much rain. I remember as a child we had a huge storm where it rained for three days straight. At the end of the storm we went outside to play and found a huge puddle. We splashed and played for what seemed like hours. My dad even came and played in the puddle with us. He would take his foot and kick the water at us making waves that towered over our heads. We ended our play time with a hot shower to warm back up since we were wet and cold. 

The past few years we have been in drought. A few years ago the trees never dropped their leaves and last year the strawberries never stopped producing fruit. While I enjoyed having fresh year round strawberries I am hating the water restrictions we currently have now. I would much rather have a rainy season. 

Dry seasons in life can be tough. I have experienced times where I was spiritually dried up. Many of you reading know that feeling. You feel like you are in a dark place and wish you could hear God's voice or experience His presence. 

For a year I interned at a church in the San Diego area. I was spending time on the road, money on gas and energy on ministry. The problem was I only gave out and never filled back up. After my savings dried up, my time was all spent and I was spiritually dry I knew something had to change. I found a church service on a Sunday night and sat in the back. The moment the guy on the guitar strummed the first note I was in tears. God ministered to me through those songs and moments with him by myself in the back of that church for a few months while I finished my internship. 

If you are in a dry season then it is time to identify the factors that have dried you up. Mine was from doing ministry but not being ministered to. Receiving was (and is) as important as giving. Maybe for you it is something different. Pray and ask the Holy Soirit what it is and how you can deal with it. It could be forgiving an offense, getting back to church, spending time with God in prayer and study of His word or something else that God reveals to you. Whatever it is be diligent with it and as you do expect God to send the rain! 

Have you ever experienced a dry season in your life? How did you come out of it? 

Day 239 - Does It Have To End?

"Oh the joys of going back to school and summer ending. I love summer. I wish it could be the endless summer of the movies traveling around the world crossing the equator in search of the perfect wave. But instead I have to send my kids back to school. Not so bad when you think of their education, social life and special times of the fall winter and spring. This morning we had the pre-school year Dr's visit. The kids were cute as they got their height, weight eyes and ears checked. It was a lot like a new fun game for them. I had an appointment so I left and Jess said from then on it turned. Suddenly there was the small room with three antsy children in robes and underwear climbing all over the place. Jess said that they were in there an hour."

One of our pastors on staff at the church who is very wise shared a bit of wisdom with me during the change of a season. He said that God gives us the seasons and times in order to bring to light different truths. He went on to explain that we should use the times and seasons to teach and understand more about God. 

This season has been amazing. I look over what we have done this summer alone and I am amazed. Expand that to this year and I can hardly believe everything that has taken place. We pack into one year what some may take decades to accomplish. I am not bragging it is just the reality of the fast paced life we live and the church we are a part of. God is doing an abundance in our church. We don't even know the half of it. 

When the seasons change it is the natural tendency to mourn the loss of what we are enjoying or resist the change of pace. When I find that I am in that state I remind myself that there are blessings of each season. Even though summer is my favorite season and I like heat more than cold I can't resist smiling when I think of playing in the snow with my children. I would never enjoy those blessings without a winter. 

Whatever season you are in be sure to enjoy it. If your season is changing don't worry. Get excited! There are specific blessings coming to you in the season that is ahead. 

What is your favorite season and why? How can we enjoy the season of life we are in? 

Day 130 - Continuous Improvement

"We are learning how to handle stress."

At every level and in every season of life there will be stress. The stress may vary and differ in intensity with each new level and in those seasons. That means we have to be life long learners. 

I have found a few ways to handle stress in any situation I find myself in. The first is to cast your cares. God cares for you and knows what you're going through. He is also able to handle it. 

Second is to commit your way to the Lord. The word picture for commit in the Old Testament is that of a camel kneeling down with a heavy burden and rolling it off his back on to the ground. In this scenario we are the camel and God is the ground. It is nothing for God to take on any weight we struggle to carry. When we are weak He is strong. 

Finally continue to learn, grow, get stronger and develop your trust in God. We don't have all the answers and we most certainly cannot handle everything life throws at us. That is why God is with us all the time. We can make it when He is with us. 

If we get these basics down then we can continuously improve our life. We most certainly will be less stressed too!

Are there unique trials or pressures you have seen in different seasons of life? What else could be added to my ways of handling stress that you have seen work?