A New Chapter!

Life is like chapters in a book. Some call these chapters seasons of life. It is always very interesting to me, as I look through the varied chapters that I’ve experienced. I have experienced many opened and closed chapters in life and career.

Each new chapter ushers in a wave of emotion that is both reflective and prospective. I think about my first job that I ever had when I was just a child. I needed to work to support our family needs, I had to get a job early in life starting to work at just 9 years of age.

When I was fifteen I was able to work doing custodial work after school and during the summer. It wasn’t a hard job yet I did not take the job serious enough. I remember when my friends wanted to go swimming, I was scheduled to work at the same time. I called off work to be with my friends but my boss said that if I didn’t show up I could lose my job. After swimming for a while I realized what I had given up. I called my boss and begged for my job back. After being scolded and reminded that I need to do to take my job more seriously, he let me return to work.

Each season teaches us something about ourselves and our relationship with others. Each season has provided me with lifelong friendships that I carry with me even to this day. We have experienced life together in each of those seasons. There are so many life events that happened to us and they created memories and emotions, making those very unique times in my journey. They are like bookmarks at various points along the way.

Just recently, I have experienced yet another season, a chapter that closed and another set of experiences charting another chapter in life. This blog explores both a reflection as well as the opening lines of the new chapter.

If life is to be lived on purpose we should expect change to occur. Not only do we change but so too our opportunities. Each new season teaches us to adapt and grow. We learn to take risks and learn from our prior experiences. Life is a journey worth living, no matter the challenges. Humility is a goal to achieve in the process. It is freedom FROM pride or arrogance! 

In my past experiences, including my most recent chapter, having served four years at Josiah White's. I learned to be vulnerable and to understand my blind spots (those areas that I could not see clearly about my personality). I have learned to remain open to new ideas and have learned how to integrate my experiences into everyday life. 

In this season of change I have learned to trust the Lord. I have learned to relax (somewhat) and trust that God has all things under His control. I am a project that is growing and always learning. Seasons cause us all to adapt. We may not like to change but sometimes we just have to accept the changes in life, those patterns that are important. We learn to trust in God, so we can grow and develop. 

Seasons, like chapters, are meant to provide us with the necessary break from the ongoing challenges or opportunities and to see the horizon. It is worth the risk to stick your head out of the trenches to see and learn from the current season of life. If we remain in the trenches too long we become myopic and risk missing out of all that God has for us. If we risk, we learn to depend more deeply on the work that God is doing both in you and through you. 

I have learned to gain strength from risk and also grow from change. I am always looking for ways to develop on my own but sometimes, God forces a change to help us grow more dependent on Him. We may even become more dependable for another's sake. We risk so that we can rest in His ever-abiding desire to care for your needs. 

This chapter may not be ideal but it is necessary if we are to grow in relationship to God in Christ. 

Season are sometimes welcomed change to hard times. I can assure you that as you trust in the Lord and walk with Him, season can be welcomed perspectives on all that God promises us through His Word. We become more "dialed in" with what He desires and it is for our betterment. 

A passage that has hung with me in the season of change has been a reoccurring theme from my life verse.  Philippians 1:6 reads: "I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." (NLT) We learn that our lives are lived on purpose that is not about me or about you but it is all about Christ.

His work in my life is always active. His plans are revealed at the right time when I need to transition from trusting but to also know Him. His work is always meant for good. 

I am excited to see that the Lord has in store for me. I am certain that God is also writing new pages in your life. When He is ready to began a new chapter in the season of life, allow Him to walk with you, guide you, and develop you through the process. 

It is more important what happens IN you than what happens to you. It is not about the destination or final chapter but the journey marked by seasons and even those occasional bookmarks that build context to your experiences. Let God finish His work within you by trusting His next-level experiences in your life.