Changing Seasons

"I'm going back."
"I know you are."
"How did I know you already knew that even before I did?"
"That's just the way He connected us."

And so went another conversation where spirits are connected more than our earthly minds & hearts. Just as significant - so went another conversation indicating a changing season. Normally this would be met with complaint, me begging for consistency, or even anger. This time, it was met with quiet, peaceful acceptance.

People come into our lives for seasons. This particular friend became a mainstay in this season of my life when his sister (and one of my best friends) passed away. We journeyed through our common grief and found a remarkable friendship. Through this journey, we not only found common ground, we helped each other find Christ on a deeper level than either of us had experienced before. We disagreed (sometimes loudly), we pushed each other, we encouraged & supported each other, and we simply walked side by side on this path. Now we see those paths dividing... and it's okay. He has found where God wants him in this next season - and who am I to stand in the way? I can choose to fight it and be miserable, or I can choose to rejoice that he's found his new calling and support him as he goes back to the mission field on a more permanent basis.

I had realized several months ago that the seasons were getting ready to change - not just with this friend - but with almost all of my friends. The one person that I go to for advice has been caught up in her life - working more than one job, going through ministry training and raising her family. In the past this would cause me to stress about our friendship and wonder what I'd done to keep her from being there to talk all the time. Yet, as we've grown individually and in our friendship, I know that if I need her, all I have to do is pick up the phone and call or send a quick email and she'd be there in the blink of an eye - even if I haven't spoken to her in months. The silences are okay. More significantly, we both know without a doubt that we are constantly lifting one another in prayer. That is a comfort beyond any measure. Another friend who'd been distanced in the past few seasons has slowly come back into a more consistent existence in my life. New friends have emerged in the craziest of ways and places, and others have slowly faded into the background. It doesn't mean any of these friends are better or worse than the others, just that our season has changed.

Fall is normally one of my favorite seasons. The changing leaves, the warm days and crisp nights, college football (Go Hokies!), and holiday preparations all put me in a great mood. I welcome the change from the heat of summer into the wonders of fall. I embrace these changes, even when I know they won't last forever. Why then have I been so hesitant to accept the seasons of change in life? Why did I struggle to hold onto certain seasons instead of letting them grow and change as they must? Anyone with kids knows this struggle. You want to hold onto those baby kisses and chubby fingers forever - but every day they are growing and changing. We can't make seasons last. We can, however, choose joy in the changing seasons and ride the winds of change with a positive attitude, grateful heart and expectant spirit. God may have a bounty of blessings in store for us in the next season, and we may miss it if we're too busy holding onto the past season of life.

Kara's favorite quote is so applicable in this changing of seasons... "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."