The seasons of my life have been that way, too. "Let's just get on with the next thing." Whether it's been wanting to get out my high school season, or college season, or single season to the married season, the pregnancy season, the breast-feeding season, or potty-training season. It's easy to get so focused on "what's next" that I don't take the time to enjoy the "now".
Currently, I'm in a season of rest. God has made it quite clear to me that - for a season - I should cut off some activities and some things that were wasting energy. He showed me several examples that are keeping me steady in this season, so that I don't try to jump out of it too soon.
One example came through reading a magazine article. The author was writing about her grandfather who was a farmer. Sometime in November, he would sow rye (I think is was). He would allow it to grow for several months, then, around February, he would till it all under. He knew it wasn't a waste of seed or energy. It was all fuel for the next season. He would then let the land rest while all those nutrients fertilized the soil to allow a bigger, healthier crop to be produced in the next season. That was comforting to me...that God could take a crappy (excuse my French) season that was meant to discourage me and turn it into fertilizer to enable me to be more productive.
Another example was one I has heard years ago, but came back to my remembrance. It was of a lumberjack who kept hacking away at a tree with a dull blade while a fellow worker sat down and sharpened his ax. He was annoyed that the other guy was resting while he was sweating. But when his companion finally "got back to work" he was able to do more work more quickly because he has taken the time to sharpen his blade. That story has encouraged me to take some time to get sharper while I'm resting.
Of course, the best example was looking at the nation of Israel in the Old Testament. They had been given a commandment to rest and to let their land rest. Failing to allow the land to rest got them into trouble...captivity, even. I knew that I was in danger of going "into captivity" of self-imposed demands by doing things that I felt others expected of me.
I'm finding that it can be a challenge to allow myself to rest, especially when I watch others around me working (some, feverishly). There's always the nagging voice saying "Produce, produce, produce...produce MORE!" But I must allow this season...a kind of pruning season...in order to be more effective in the next. Instead of saying "I'm resting", I guess you could say "I'm getting ready." It makes it sound like I'm doing something.
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. ~Hebrews 4:11
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ~Matthew 11:29
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