Many people love fall because it heralds cooler weather and the upcoming holidays. Yet others view autumn with dread because it rolls into the cold, bleak, darkness of winter.
Life is a succession of changes. Life seasons come and go, just as they do in nature. How we view seasons of personal change has an impact on how we handle and move through life hurdles. So, how do you adjust and sustain forward motion amid change?
Following are thoughts on moving through life’s seasonal changes:
Expect Change
Life adjustments come just as surely as one season transitions into the next. Sometimes, seasons change softly, gradually. Other times, harsh winds and stormy skies blast one season into the next.
It’s the same with change in our lives. You may experience change slowly, incrementally over weeks or months. Or change may upend your world with one phone call, one discovery, or one conversation.
No matter how it comes, change is part of life’s cycle, a progression of alterations, adjustments, and adaptations. If you expect all elements of life to stay the same, your outlook is unrealistic and you’re unprepared for change.
Don’t Get Stuck
Sometimes we encounter life seasons that are so difficult it feels as if you are wading through thick, sticky mud. Just when you think you’ve made your way to firmer ground, you find yourself sucked back into turmoil, grief, anger, or guilt. Often, emotions inhibit forward motion and lengthen progress in moving through hard life seasons. Do what you can to process and control emotions, but if you find yourself slipping, seek wise counsel.
Find Good in Change
Many of us don’t like change. To some degree, most of us are creatures of habit, and change challenges that to which we are accustomed. We chafe at change because it makes us create new patterns and accept new parameters. Thus, we often view seasonal life changes negatively.
Train yourself to look for positives in change. Focus on what is good about new situations and phases. Find something to enjoy and cling to it. Change brings challenge, but it also brings fresh awareness and blessings.
Adopt a Forward-Looking Perspective
Perspective impacts everything about how we view changing life seasons. If you are enduring a challenging time in your life, be assured it will not last forever. Just as surely as night becomes day, and the harshness of winter gives way to the beauty of a mild spring, so the difficulties you are experiencing will moderate and a new season of life will unfold.
Even in times of waiting, when nothing seems positive and you feel as if you are in eternal limbo, God is present, working out details behind the scenes to move you forward in his timing. Don’t look back, wishing for the past that probably wasn’t as wonderful as you remember. Keep your eyes on what lies ahead with assurance that a new, more positive season is on the horizon.
“As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night” (Genesis 8:22 TLB).
©CandyArrington
Candy Arrington is a writer, blogger, speaker, and freelance editor. She often writes on tough topics with a focus on moving through, and beyond, difficult life circumstances. Candy has written hundreds of articles, stories, and devotionals published by numerous outlets including: Inspiration.org, Arisedaily.com, CBN.com, Healthgrades.com, Care.com, Focus on the Family, NextAvenue.org, CountryLiving.com, and Writer’s Digest. Candy’s books include Life on Pause: Learning to Wait Well (Bold Vision Books), When Your Aging Parent Needs Care (Harvest House), and AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B&H Publishing Group).
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