Entering A New Season

A New Season

Entering a New Season means accepting Changes

Entering a New Season Brings Challenges

Entering a New Season Births Champions

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Man, does time seem to go by fast!

As you know, last week I celebrated 23 years of marriage to Laura. I can’t believe it has been that long or that I am old enough to be married that long. But that day 23 years ago, began a new chapter in my life.

This year, it has been 10 years since I left my secular job at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Sometimes it seems like last year, but that was a change that altered these past 10 years for me in ways I could not have imagined at the time.

Next month it will be 8 years since the first time I preached at Hickory Creek. That was definitely a new season of life for me and my family and a blessing to us.

As we look back on our lives, I know that each of us can pick out milestones, times that a new season of life began. In fact, going forward, if we stopped to consider some possible future events, I believe we could see some new seasons of our life approaching.

That is because the reality for each of us is that we face new seasons regularly in our lives and this is not something that is new or unique to any of us.

In fact, the author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, wrote these words nearly 3000 years ago.

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Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

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5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Everything has a season. We know that new seasons continue to come.

But the hard part about

Entering a New Season means Accepting Change

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Every new season bring changes.

Just like the seasons of the year, a new season means changes to our life.

Many of us have a love/hate relationship with change.

We don’t like monotony, but change can be scary.

But even though change can be scary, we have got to realize that these changes will happen and we have to accept them.

Sticking your head in the sand is not going to help nor is wishing that things hadn’t changed.

Illustration - College

We have just entered another new season of life in our home. Both of the boys are away at college now and the house sure is a lot different. I am thankful that Melanie is still around, but our family dynamic has changed for each of us.

Family dinners are different without Jason and Adam. I miss being able to talk about what was happening in our lives on a regular basis.

Now, if I think about this, I do have the power to bring things somewhat back to how they were because I am a large financial contributor to this endeavor. But I know that this would not be what is best for them or for us for the long term. Even though I would like them around now, I don’t want them around forever! That is not how God has designed the family to work. At some point, your kids become adults and become independent from you, so, things will have to change.

So, I accept the change even though it is hard, understanding that it is ultimately best for them and for us.

But it is through my relationship with the Lord that I not only understand and know these things, but it is through that relationship that I am strengthened and steadied during these times of change, because I have a God who is unchanging.

Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

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Jesus doesn’t change. When we are dealing with changing circumstances and new seasons of life, it is vital to have a rock to cling to.

That Rock is the Lord and it is vital that we know Him and grow in that relationship with Him, knowing His word, so that we can have peace amid the changing circumstances and the uncertainties of the future.