As I was walking to get coffee this morning I was feeling a bit down. Something about my weekend made me feel like life was passing me by. I felt stuck planning life around work and naptimes while other people were out living their dream life, exploring the world, and most importantly - everyone looks like they have so much time to just slow down. How is that possible? What am I doing wrong?
And then the holy spirit whispered in my ear and reminded me. Everything has a season.
I don't know about you, but I unfortunately sometimes think things will last FORRREEEVVVEEERRRR. For example, my daughter not sleeping through the night. When I wake up 1600 times - I mean, 3 - I get up in the morning with this sinking feeling in my stomach and that thought that says "this is your life now...you will never sleep again" followed by, "it's probably time to start buying anti aging cream".
But it's temporary.
My daughter is 14 months now. And if I'm real honest with myself and I replace the devils lies with the truth I can already see that where I am now is 100% different than when my daughter was born. I have infinitely more freedom. We enjoy going on walks, digging into some sand at the beach, eating whip cream, and laughing at all the strange animal sounds I CAN'T make. I no longer have to worry about supporting her head, feeding her every 5 minutes, or worrying if she will have an exploding diaper while I'm at the grocery store.
Because, that season was temporary.
And, when you look at it that way, it makes it so so much easier to really enjoy every single little, hard, uncomfortable, precious, sweet moment.
There are things we will never get back because time forges on. But, Lord willing, as time moves forward and seasons change, in due time, I will get to do those little things like exploring the world, and sleeping until I can't sleep anymore.
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There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:3-8