S6 E23: Summer REWIND - Transitions and Trust

Hey you! Thanks for being here.

Week 4  on our Summer Rewind here on the pod and I had some thoughts when listening to this week's episode…

It was interesting listening to a previous episode and hearing where I was in my health journey at that time. I have to admit I had a moment where I felt frustrated at myself for allowing life to knock me off course with things that give me life.  I can beat myself up for feeling like I lost progress where I was feeling stronger. But instead of staying at my regret party, I chose to take those thoughts and replace them with truth. And the truth is I’ve been back to my daily rhythms for a while now and even though I’m not where I would love to be I’m not where I was when I stopped. 

I had to remind myself of this very thing in the last few weeks when I felt like my results were equally my efforts. And Galatians 6:9 came to my mind, it says…

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Even though I might not see all the difference that my choices are making they are affecting me and I know that.  I just wish the progress and evidence of those things were more evident. Yet, I know that evidence will only come when I don’t become weary in the process and give up.

Maybe you need that reminder today as well.

You feel like you are doing all you can and yet feel frustrated and almost hopeless at times that things will ever change.

Don’t grow weary,  friend.  Keep making the good choices and in due time you will reap the blessings of those choices. IF you don’t give up! 

So let’s go…..

Hey, hey everyone! Happy September! 

It’s been a while and it feels good to be back.  I didn’t intentionally go into Summer thinking I would be taking a break from the Podcast but I did go into Summer with intention of following my curiosity and creating some sweet Summer moments. 

And surprisingly one of the sweetest moments for me has been walking at sunrise most mornings. Who am I?!? LOL! I’m laughing because sometimes it still even feels a little strange to me even though I’ve been a morning person for a while now ...I WAS SO NOT a morning person FOR SO LONG!!!!  So add on getting out the door and walking first thing in the morning ...I’m hardly recognizing myself haha

For those that are new here… Some stomach issues got my attention a few years ago and began a journey of healing that has gone deep and wide in my life. I feel like I’ve researched and studied enough to have earned some kind of degree and I’m still learning and healing.

One of the things that I kept hearing talked about was Circadian Rhythm ( which is the 24-hour cycle that is part of our body’s internal clock. So I adjusted my life to start shutting things down as the sun is going down. And for someone that has been a night owl most of her life, this was definitely a mental struggle. I still have my struggles some nights but for most of the time my body has gotten into this rhythm and I actually enjoy my evenings in a different way.

These changes made me realize that when I lived most of the moments in my day in the same forward motion from the time I woke up till I finally faded exhausted or watching something… there was no differentiation in my day. Which in some ways can make our days feel like they are all running together more.

The older I’ve gotten the more I’m amazed at the things that have been right there in plain sight my whole life. Things that are so familiar that we don’t even see them anymore…

One of those things has been the seasons we experience, the days we work and the days we rest and the hours of each of our days.  Our incredible creator God knew exactly what he was doing when he set everything in motion.  

So here we are at the start of a new month... a month that feels somewhat like a transition month officially moving from Summer to Fall and hoping the weather is cooperating with that season change haha

As I was thinking about that...I was reminded how so many times we can feel like we are in a transition in our lives…

That space between what’s next but not yet …

That space that for so many of us is hard because we want what we want when we want it.

If I had to choose one word to describe transitions it would be… trust.

Trust is an easy word to talk about and much harder to actually live out.

It’s easy for me to say, “I trust God,” after all I’m a Christian and that’s what we do…

Or is it?!?

I’ve been challenged with this issue of trust…

And have recognized how easy it is for me to say and think I am while simultaneously trying to control everything.

That’s Not trust...  That’s control. 

I want to live what I say I believe.

I want to trust God has a plan even when I don’t see it.

I want to trust he is for me when I don’t feel it at the moment.

I want to trust that he will never leave me even when I feel lonely.

Because this is what I believe that sometimes my flesh wants me to doubt.

I know I’m not the only one that feels like life is one big transition right now.

Like the whole world has been flipped upside down like a board game of LIFE and even when it appears to be flipped back all the pieces have been scattered and tossed around.

Some of us are scrambling trying to once again organize all the pieces…

Some of us realize ...that particular way of playing LIFE is over.

As weird and unsettling as this can feel at times

It’s a strange mix of grief and hope

And if we will open our hearts and eyes 

We are able to see God in ways we never have

Our hearts and minds weren’t designed to consume news reports 24/7.

We weren’t designed to carry a device in our hand or pocket at all times.

It’s changing who we are. 

There’s so much beauty in the connection we can have in the world with technology but we have to establish daily rhythms that help us live the life we were designed to live.  We were created for communication with our Creator. He desires to speak to us in so many ways that we can’t see or hear because of all the noise we are letting in.

As hard as it can feel sometimes I believe we can hold the tension of grief and hope in the days.

We can weep with those who are weeping and we can look to the future and trust that God has a plan and it is good.

I’m excited about this next season...even though like most of you I don’t clearly see all the details in front of me.

One of the beautiful things about this time… although you might have to look and dig a little deeper some days...but there is such beauty and joy and kindness is the most basic and simple things.

Let’s be those that see those beautiful simple things and spread them instead of the latest news.

Who’s with me?

God use us to speak about and to spread your goodness and love in this world. Help us to not let the noise of the world drown out this never-ending hope that we have in you. We love you and we are trusting in you always!