It’s funny how everyday items can lead us down memory lane.

While walking through the store the other day, I noticed boxes containing glue, pens, paper, folders, crayons, and other school supplies lining some of the aisles. 

Pausing, I watched the associates busily stock the shelves with these essential Back-to-School items, and I caught myself missing this season with my kids. It’s been a while since I’ve had to shop for school supplies. 

Seeing this scene reminded me that summer was nearly over, and Autumn would soon follow.

I’ve always looked forward to the Fall. The change in season excites me-especially when the leaves start to turn. My mother is the opposite. She loves the summer and dreads when the leaves change because it signals that winter is coming. 

What about you? Do you dread summer ending or look forward to the next season? 

Thinking about the seasons reminds me that just as the climatic seasons change, so do the seasons in life. 

It’s not easy to say goodbye to a season of life we’ve enjoyed. 

I remember when my oldest child was graduating from high school. This event prompted a series of emotions and thoughts I didn’t expect to have. All throughout his senior year, I was a mess. One moment I was the beaming proud mama, and the next, I bawled like a baby. 

My youngest child wouldn’t graduate for another three years, but the realization that my season of having school-age kids at home would soon end made me sad. I remember thinking, what am I going to do when I no longer have school-aged children at home? What’s next for me? 

I never anticipated feeling that way and struggled to understand it. 

I didn’t want the current season to end, nor did I feel excited and ready to take on the next. Dread was a more accurate description of how I felt. 

We can get comfortable and love our situation so much that we can’t bear to let it go, can’t we? Even though we know things can’t stay the same forever, we desperately dig in our heels to hold off the approaching season as long as possible. But in the end, the new season still comes whether we are ready for it or not. 

Is there an approaching season you are dreading? Does the thought of leaving your current season behind fill you with apprehension? 

Change can be tough when it isn’t welcomed. Fortunately, we don’t have to walk this road alone. We have a God we can depend on to help us navigate the next phase in our lives so we can joyfully move onward into the ensuing season. 

Although I knew I would still miss my kids being at home with me when the time came for them to leave the nest, with God’s help, I was able to let go of the trepidation building inside of me and joyfully look forward. It was challenging, but with a lot of prayer and time spent in God’s word, I eventually got to a place where I could look ahead without that looming sense of dread.

It’s been almost a decade since my oldest graduated high school. I’ve experienced several new seasons since then, each one teaching me to trust God a little more.

When a new phase of life approaches, I still struggle to embrace it, but I’ve learned that I can depend on God, and I choose to believe there are good things beyond my current season in life. 

Does the coming season have you dreading the days ahead?
I understand. Change can be scary, and it’s hard to let go. You might be in the process of leaving a job you enjoy to start a new one, getting ready to relocate from your beloved hometown to a different city, or the days of having an empty nest could be just around the corner.

Whatever it may be, if feelings of dread are looming and we’re struggling to look at the upcoming season with joy, it’s crucial that we stay close to God and saturate ourselves with truths from His word.

Here are four things to remember when a change in season is approaching:

• God is With Us. We don’t have to walk into the next season alone; God is always by our side. (Psalm 46:7; Joshua 1:9)
• God is Compassionate and Kind. We can go to God and tell him exactly how we feel. He understands our apprehensiveness and wants us to go to Him when we are scared, worried, or filled with dread. (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7)
• God is Trustworthy and Faithful. We can trust God with every aspect of our lives including the approaching season. We can also depend on God to help us if we ask him to. (Deut. 7:9; Isaiah 41:13; Psalm 46:1; Psalm 32:8))
• God’s Plans are Good. We may not understand it or be able to see it, but we can trust that God’s plans are ultimately for our good and His glory. (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28; Proverbs 3:5-6)

Our compassionate, faithful, good God is always with us! Isaiah 41:13 says,” For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Friends, we can always trust God to help and guide us in every season of life. I encourage you to spend time with Jesus, tell him how you feel, and lean on him to help you. 

I also wrote a prayer for you. You can pray this exact prayer or use it as a guide to find your own words. 

Prayer:

Lord, I praise you for your compassion and loving kindness. I thank you that I can come to you when I’m struggling and need help. Lord, things in my life are changing. I enjoy my current season of life, and it frightens me to let it go. I’m worried I will miss everything in the current season and be miserable in the next one. I want to enjoy every season you give me. Lord, help me to replace my pessimistic mindset with the mind of Christ so that I focus on what’s true, honorable, and good. Lord, I know You can see what’s ahead when I cannot, so I trust You have good things ahead for me. Although I’m struggling to look forward to the next phase in my life, I know you will be there with me, helping me every step of the way. Thank you for always being with me. Thank you for the past season and the experiences, lessons, and joy I found there. And thank you in advance for the things I’ll experience and learn in the next one. Please help me to embrace this next season with joy instead of dread. Lord, I trust you with my future. And though I can’t see it right now, I trust your plans are good. 

In Jesus’ name, amen.