6 Steps To Navigating A Change of Seasons
Fall is not only upon us, but winter is right around the corner! We are in a season of expectant change. It always seems to come with a measure of hard work, mindset shifts, and effort. The transition of seasons is natural and a part of the rhythm of the way that the world works. Each season change comes with a measure of preparation and work that is necessary in order to be ready for what’s about to come in the next season.
As we move towards the winter season, there are so many tasks around the yard and house that need to be completed. You may need to rake leaves, blow out irrigation lines, put away patio furniture or clean out your flower beds and more. Often, it seems, we wait right up until the last moment to try to get all the things done that we need to in order to be ready for the fall to shift into winter season. When this happens, the amount of work and tasks to check off the list can seem daunting, and even overwhelming.
If it seems heavy to consider, another way to look at the hard work of the season ending is to see it through the lens of preparation not just for winter, but also for the spring season beyond. Even as I write this, my neighbours are planting their garden beds with garlic that will be ready for harvest eight months from now. There is something to be said about actually doing the hard work of preparation in advance in anticipation of the season to change, and the season to come.
The same could be said about our spiritual lives. There are times is our lives when we know, or become aware of the fact, that we are about to shift seasons, or about to shift into a new place in our faith journey that’s deeper, somehow further along than where we just were. You may become aware of a feeling of discomfort when you know you’re about to grow, but you’re just not there yet. We often refer to these as Threshold Spaces. A Threshold Space is that inbetween place from where you have been and where you are going or growing, but you are just not there yet.
The work that we do in preparation for these seasons of change, or the spiritual season of growth, is incredibly important and helpful as we seek to navigate through these seasons well.
The times in which it feels like we have to work way harder to get through a Threshold Space are often the times where we haven’t done the preparatory work, or we were surprised that it was time for a change. Are you in a season of change right now? Are you aware of a change that’s coming for you? What work do you need to do in order to be ready for that? What can you do in the season leading up to it? The work you can do in preparation will set you up well to come through that Threshold Season well.
Like blowing out the irrigation pipes in the yard before a freeze, this can help to prepare you for the threshold season. Here are a few things that you can do in order to step in and be ready for the next season:
Spiritual hygiene - Do the work necessary to be unhindered so you can walk forward freely. Take time to do your Confession, Repentance and Forgiveness work. Clean out the garden beds and rake up the dead leaves of the past seasons as it were. In the cleaning out of the beds you are also preparing them for future planting!
Take the time to look at some of the things that might be holding you back or things that might limit your ability to step forward. What limitations are in place, and what do you need to do in order to overcome them?
Identify any mindsets (ways of thinking) that might be in place, or agreements (phrases that include always or never) that are keeping you bound to the seasons of the past. These persitant thoughts can create barriers that prevent you from moving forward into places that you’re supposed to step into. Break any agreements or mindsets that are holding you back by confessing them to the Lord.
Be willing to be uncomfortable if that means being able to grow or walk into a new place with God, yourself or others.
Receive God’s help and strength; you will need it. His help isn’t just offered in order to get through the moment, but also to build the spiritual muscles for what is to come next.
Start…step in. Don’t delay. Choose to actively participate in the work of preparing your heart and life to both be and become who God has made you to be!
If you are looking at this list and wondering what to do or where to start, we would love to talk with you about it. We meet with people regularly to help them to navigate the threshold seasons of life for spiritual care and coaching. If you are feeling stuck, click the button below.
