Transitions

These past few weeks have been busy days, filled with the change from spring to summer, a new job for my husband, the ending of another semester of college for one of our daughters, a graduation, a wedding, a visit to see my family in Oregon. In Alaska and Oregon, the days have been cooler than expected, with more rain. Rain is good for the earth and good for the soul – and I’m learning to appreciate its value, despite longing for sunshine.

“We can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are.”     

Anonymous

The rain strengthens growth, though darker in the moment, soon the earth responds. The colors become deeper, the soil smells sweeter, and one can practically feel the energy building. As I watch raindrops falling on the bleeding hearts outside my studio window, I notice the droplets pooling on the leaves. A gentle breeze lifts the tiny blossoms every so slightly and they sway with the effort yet stand strong.

Change happens whether we observe it or not

Deep within the plants, cells are multiplying and growth is constant yet for the most part, unobserved. I am learning to notice its presence, in the plants and in my life. A week ago, I felt off kilter, on the verge of cranky, almost without warning. I was impatient, anxious for change, overwhelmed by tasks I felt needed to be done on some schedule. In reality, I was adjusting to a new season, feeling the rain and the winds of change without understanding them.

I’d stepped away from who I was, what I needed

All too often, I get caught up in what is going on around me and forget to just be. I forget that while the raindrops are falling and the wind is gently blowing, my cells are growing like those in a plant on a spring day. Change is happening in me. God is doing what God does and working whether I see him or I don’t. And I needn’t understand it, I can just rest in who I am, right now, this moment.

As with the plants, change will come. And one day I will wake up and realize that I’ve grown. Right now, I’ll just appreciate the raindrops. I know that the drops are feeding my soul in all the right places.

Can you lean into your own season of change?

No matter what challenges you face today, I hope that you can pause for a moment to notice what is happening in your life. Whether you know it or not, you are changing and growing.

Here are 3 things you can do to embrace change:

1. Be mindful of the beauty around you. Notice your surroundings and pay attention to how they are changing. Is the wind blowing? Do you notice raindrops? Is the sun shining? What impact does this have on the plants and animals nearby?
2. Notice how you feel. What emotions are triggered in you? Are you happy? Sad? Anxious? Why?
3. Simply accept all of this information. You don’t need to DO anything in this moment. Breathe in and out, and be thankful for unseen growth.

You can’t become what you need to be, by remaining who you are — and so, lean into this season of growth.

I pray that you will find beauty and strength in the knowledge that you are growing and changing imperceptibly. May you find peace in this process, knowing that you needn’t have all of the answers today, or even tomorrow. God is guiding and directing the tiniest of details around you — and it’s good.