Embracing Your Season (Erin Lee)

Because one of our ladies was sick, I was able to stay in town an extra night with her just in case I needed to take her to the clinic.  This afforded me the opportunity to listen to a New Philadelphia Church sermon by our awesome woman of God, Erin Lee.  And this was the most timely sermon I have every received, especially in my current season of physical discomfort in the bush of Cambodia.

We started by reading Ecclesiastes 3 where is talks about a season for everything.  And it was addressed that you need to know your season and live according to that season.  Picture yourself in summer but you were prepared for winter, so you just wear that big feather-filled jacket anyway.  You set yourself up to be miserable if you don't live according to the season you are in.

Then we were given some don'ts:

• DON'T FOCUS ON THE LOSS BUT FOCUS ON WHAT GOD IS CALLING YOU TO ENJOY. It's natural to be sad about our loss and daydream about a time when we had or a time we will have again, but that is not healthy.  We rob ourselves of joy at that point.
• Application for me:  Stop thinking about how little I have in the bush...chocolate and coffee will be in the world when I get back.  I don't have AirCon, or a Bed, or Comfort...but I have sunrises, coal-stoves, puppies, and intentional time with my team.
• DON'T LONG FOR THE NEXT SEASON BUT BE PRESENT WHERE YOU ARE NOW.  you can get yourself in a very bad cycle...the enemy will always make you look forward and rob you of the now.  That makes you ineffective, trains you to be discontent, and makes you want to change your season.  But you can't can't control your season and that can only frustrate you. (and if you saw the inappropriate movie "Click" then you know that you don't want to fast forward life)
• Application for me:  I have a history of either looking forward or looking back.  I seem to struggle with contentment in the moment, which I recently discovered is a cyclical mentality, that I have to choose to break (taking every thought captive).  I can't afford to focus forward to Korea or Belize or America or I will lose out now.
• DON'T WASTE YOUR SEASON.  Your season could very well be an answer to past prayers...so don't you forget that.  Each season has its purpose and sometimes we will NEVER understand (don't ask "why" instead trust).  We can't let ourselves long for the future without paralyzing our current work.  It's a fight, but if you faithfully sow into this season, you will reap in the next.
• Application for me:  I am not sure what this looks like for me yet, since I truly don't know what season this is for me.  I do know that I am not open to learning how to use this season as long as I ask, "why?" and I know that if I can learn to be content and trust Him, then there will be quite the harvest.

And as I head back into the bush of Cambodia, and find myself covered in flies and sweat, with no relief from heat and no comfortable place to rest...I must keep this in mind.  I must be open to my season and live accordingly, then I will find contentment.

Musings and Random Quotes from the week:

“Sometimes I picture myself in a sweater dress, jeggings, and my fake uggs…then I tear up.”

“I have a wall that only coffee can break down.”

 “We shouldn’t cry when the grace of the old season is lifted, we don’t want last season’s fruit anyway…”

 “Pain is contextualized by the Victory!”

“There are too many Spanish names on this paper to cite it in APA.”

 “I could have fit a piglet in my bag…”

“We are never more weary than we are near the finish-line.  But we are closer to the finish-line than we were when we felt good at the start.”

“There is a progression to our pain/struggle and we are in a process. That's a revelation right there! One of Satan's lies is that if we are struggling then we are failing. But, no! We are growing. Maturity in Christ doesn't mean we will not struggle. We will struggle till we die if we are doing it right.”

“Baloney, craft cheese square, and Mayo on white bread… I want it so bad!  I would give my left pinky toenail for it!”

“It’s been two weeks since I showered…and the water came back on for a minute.  We learned about this is Undergrad.  It’s the ‘tragedy of the commons’…there’s a limited resource…so Imma get it!”

“We were told to bring carry-ons…and I am going to show up to my field study in my 55 liter pack, and budging daypack with my Ukulele shouting, ‘LET’S HAVE AN ADVENTURE!’…yeah someone will stand out in all the photos.”

“Confession isn’t because God needs to hear it, it’s because we do.  What we bring to the light cannot remain dark.”