Change of Season

 

If you've been around my page - or know me personally - then you know we are closing in on a year of losing Joe. While some of you may not realize it's been that long, others of you probably feel it still like it was yesterday. Thankfully, I no longer feel that way. I've actually been a bit conflicted about posting this for (silly) fear that I will receive judgment from some people, but I think it's important to share for everyone else.

 

When I said yes to Israel, I did it with nervous anticipation that it would be a healing trip for me. I had heard our guide, Davey, talk often about how much his trip to Israel set his path to healing after losing his wife - and I wanted that for myself. But, what I learned in the time of saying yes until actually going on the trip, is that I didn't need Israel for that. I could find it myself.

 

Right here in Georgia.

Right here in my own home.

Right here with God.

 

He would meet me here. He didn't need me to travel halfway across the world for it, in fact, He wanted me to find it here, with Him ... and I have.

 

I have found healing here, with God.

 

When we were at the Wailing Wall site, it was very interesting to see the women who would go to the wall and pour their hearts out to God there. After having a long chat with one of the women in my tour group, she experienced a similar thought as me.  There is a conflict of emotion in how beautiful their faith is that they can come pray here with such deep faith, but also sadness that they feel they have to come to the wall to do that.  

 

How awesome is it that our God doesn't need us to show up at a wall to meet us? How incredible that we can (wail if we need to), but have Him show up where we are at any given moment?

 

If that means, sitting in the car in the middle of a traffic jam, or praying over our baby in the NICU, or cooking dinner, or on the ball field, or at the pool, or in the gym, or at work ... every moment of our lives.

 

God can show up there, and He will.

 

It's been hard to completely download all of the things I experienced in Israel, especially coming home really sick, but I am slowly working through all of it. The trip in and of itself was amazing, but the presence of God and the words that He personally spoke to each of us there is supernatural. He met each of us there. He breathed life into our faith and reminded us that we don't need to travel anywhere to find Him and sit in His presence. We can have that here.

 

The season of my life has been changing for several months now. If you're in my life on the regular, you have witnessed this. I have seen God bring out some parts of me that I forgot existed. I have experienced incredible joy, and laughter, and silliness - all that I forgot were inside. I have watched my kids embrace new, and learn to love their lives and live bigger and bolder than before.

 

So while God sustained me in the winter season, He also taught me how to survive there. He grew my strength. He grew my faith. He made me resilient. He gave me His supernatural power. He gave me peace in the storm.

 

...and now, He's changing the season.

 

I had wanted to write this until the calendar ticked off one year, but it's not necessary. It felt like the 'right thing' to do. Wait one year to say I am ready for this story, part 2, but the truth is, I should have written this already. The season of my life has changed, and I have already started writing the next chapter.

 

I had a strong confirmation of this a few nights ago. The details of the dream I experienced will forever live in my journal, but God confirmed this in me. Close this chapter. Stop writing in two chapters. Close this chapter, and fully write in the next.

 

What I'd like to share here, is that when God is ready for a season to change in your life, He won't need a specific date on the calendar, He will just change it.

 

So friends, I hope you'll stick around. Laura, part two has started and I'm so ready for it.