by leaps and bounds

The Lord will honor your current season. In fact, if you’re following and obeying Him, He put you there. Even if you just recently surrendered, He will create purpose for you right where you are at.

He has been speaking to me about finding joy in my current season and being careful not to compare it to another’s. Comparison truly is the thief of joy. Many times we think the grass is greener on the other side, but most of the time we don’t see the weeds, the crows, or the storms on the other side’s greenery. So focus on yours and see it for the gift it is.

We all have different seasons in our lives. When we are teenagers, we have to balance school and extracurricular activities while still being told what to do from our parents. As young adults, we may be in college or be working and not yet be married or have kids, which could offer us much free time. Or we may have had our children very young and be the same age as our peer, but in a completely different season of our lives. We may be struggling with empty nest because our children have grown up and left the coop and we now have to let the Lord handle them more and give them the freedom they need. We may be at retirement age and be wondering, “What’s next Lord?”

Either way, we cannot compare our seasons to others. Even if we may be the same age and/or have close to the same circumstances, many things will differ from one person to the next. God has a plan for each of us and one sure way to squash that individually tailored plan is to start comparing it to others. My friend Jess always says, “Mind your own Jesus” and boy is that more important than ever.

I have found myself struggling at times with comparing my season to another and even longing for the way their season seems to look. I had a baby when I was younger than I would have liked and the enemy loved to torment me with that saying many different lies to me such as: “Your life is ruined and you wasted your young adult fun time.” Or, “You weren’t a good parent to your first born because you weren’t living right and now she didn’t get the good mom that your other two will.” … You get the point. The enemy will use what lies and arrows he can to derail us and make us look back to our past wishing we could change things then or even now.

But… we can’t! So let’s embrace our current season and give the Lord the ability to work something beautiful out of where we are at right now. And let’s show grace to others in their current season. Some people may be able to go pray at the drop of the hat, while other’s may not be able to join because of their small children or other responsibilities. That doesn’t mean they are less passionate for the Lord or unworthy because their life looks different than ours. And let the Lord lavish you in His grace and mercy for where you are currently at as well. He knows the plate you have and He also wants to teach you how to balance that plate more effectively and strategically.

So stop comparing your season to others, find joy in where you are currently at, embrace it and look at the positives because one thing is for sure: our seasons will always be changing. And one thing the Lord is awesome at is teaching us how to thrive in each one, even if it looks different than you may like or want it to. Let God be God and let go of everything you can’t control. Ask the Lord to show you what positives are in your current season and be thankful in all things, in makes all the difference! 🙂

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