Once again, seasons are changing. We morph from spring to summer, then to fall, on to winter, and finally back to spring again. In the process, our children grow and change. They progress from grade to grade and stage to stage. Before we know it, they are learning to drive and speeding toward graduation.
We cannot help but gear our lives toward the seasons. Each stage of parenting directs our focus in specific ways, and we respond accordingly. We create schedules and routines according to the rhythms of life and the ages of our children. And that is exactly as it should be.
Unfortunately, we also often base our confidence in the circumstances of each season. When we do that, we can find ourselves shaken when a new season rolls around. We progress from littles to school age children, and we mourn the loss of our babies. We hit the high school years and feel old. We watch our children leave home, and empty nest syndrome hits hard. Even changes that do not relate to our children specifically – moves, job changes, and other life alterations – throw us for a loop because they shake our foundations.
When we marry our identity to our circumstances, any change in circumstances feels far too much like a divorce.
But there is another solution – one that will keep us confident and solid even when the future is uncertain or the changes lead us to places we’ve never navigated before. In fact, it is the only solution that will allow us to truly delight in where we are, look back with joy, and look forward with anticipation. When we place our identity and our confidence in Christ alone, our foundation will never be shaken.
I do not like change, but I have experienced a good deal of it in the past few years – some good and some not so good. Through it all I have learned to place my confidence in Christ, and His hand has guided me through each and every change. I know He will keep my foundation secure as yet another child leaves the nest and patterns of life continue to change.
Yes, when we put our confidence in Christ, it stands firm through every stage and season.
