The "Pumpkin-Flavored EVERYTHING!!!" Season

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted.
A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace."

- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

As the season changes from summer to autumn, I am reminded of how my spiritual season is changing as well. I think one of the reasons God created the earthly seasons is to reflect how important it is to embrace our different spiritual seasons. Like the earth needs spring, summer, fall, and winter, our souls need growth, refinement, change, and rest.

As most of you know, this past summer I had the opportunity to work at Lake Lundgren Bible Camp. I was able to serve in ways I had never served before and I was challenged each and every day. God revealed how important it is for me to rely on Him for my joy and strength in every single situation. In the same way as heat refines, God used this (hot) summer to refine me; He showed me my impurities and the ways in which I wasn't relying on Him for strength. Because I was able to recognize this, I was then able to start running to Him as my wellspring instead of relying on myself or others for fulfillment.

Now, fall is here. Can you believe it?! WOOHOO! Let's celebrate with apple picking, haunted houses, leaf piles, scarves, coffee, squash (butternut is my personal fav), cool breezes, and my favorite...pumpkin-flavored EVERYTHING!!! Okay... back to the more serious note:

I think fall is called "fall" for a reason. Not just because of how the leaves start to change and fall, but also because things in our lives start to change and fall away as well. Whether that be your kids going off to school/college, letting go of a previous job, or even just saying goodbye to an awesome summer...whatever it may be, I think we all can find something that has "fallen away" now that summer is over.

Let me be straight up: I have experienced more "fall" this fall than any other fall before (you're probably thinking to yourself, can you rephrase that Kenzie??). In other words, a lot has changed and I've lost a lot of things within the past month or so. I no longer am a counselor at LLBC, I am no longer a student in high school, my best friends are all away at college, my bank account is no longer as happy as it was before school started, etc...

As much as I love the season of fall, this spiritual season that I'm in currently is very hard to appreciate and be content in. If you know me, you know that I am very structured and that I feel secure when I have a solid plan laid out in front of me. However, this is not the way God works. As my mom always reminds me, He is not a lighthouse lighting up our whole entire journey...rather, He is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105).

Step by step, God will light the way.
Step by step, He will guide you through whatever you face.

Step by step.

Day by day.

TBH, this drives me crazy sometimes. Not knowing what He has called me to do with my life and not knowing what will happen in my future can be unbearable. But I'm beginning to realize that I only feel this way when I think that it's up to me to create my own purpose.

And the beautiful fact of the matter is, it's not.

God has that purpose already picked out for me. In fact, He had it picked out before I was even born. Before He even formed me in my mother's womb, He knew.

Even though I can't see exactly what He's doing with my life or where He wants to take me, I can still put my hope in Him and know that no matter what happens, my life will glorify Him. Whether that be through engineering, music, or bus driving...in His perfect timing, He will reveal it to me. For now, all that I can do is trust in Him and believe, with all my heart and all my soul, that He is sovereign over my life.

Things will happen that I will not be able to understand in the moment and God will call me to do things that I may not want to do. But I'll say it again; during these times, the most important thing that we can do is trust Him.

It is important to embrace every spiritual season that you are in because God will work during those times, undoubtedly. He's at work all the time! And this is what it all comes down to:

We change. Our lives change. Our plans change. Our feelings change.
Our seasons change.
But the Lord, His purpose for us, and His love for us will always remain.