Ecclesiastes 3:1 - "There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven."

IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME, GOD BROUGHT FORTH.... Those who were looking could feel the shift in the atmosphere being released and coinciding with the Biblical New Year that began this fall. As wonderful as that was, unfortunately many of us have not felt the shift happen in every area of our lives or families. For some of us, there continue to be difficult areas in which we are still experiencing struggle and pain, without seeing any clue of breakthrough happening on the horizon. Of course we are not meant to see with our natural eyes, but with the eyes of the Spirit. However, until that breakthrough fully manifests, we can be walking blindly through what still feels like a very difficult season. We long for major change, but the shift can be very imperceptible in its beginning stages.

It has been my experience that God gets mileage out of everything! I am still walking in the midst of a very painful season in my own life right now that in the natural, shows no hint of changing. Those seasons wear on us - especially when they are prolonged, and of course the enemy whispers, "This will never change, it is going to last forever.' I always need to recognize that for what it really is - a lie from the enemy! Seasons by their very nature change. The long winter changes to the hope of spring, the horrifically hot Florida summer changes to the refreshing breezes of fall. None of it changes perfectly, but it does change. The Bible says so.

I've also learned that as much as the enemy uses the circumstances to try to destroy my tender heart, God uses them to purify my heart; to test me by using the pressure to bring up any buried fears, aspects of control, angers and silent demands. He breaks my "pictures" ( I didn't realize I even had) of how I wanted things to be. It is a season of grieving the losses that we can't seem to change. We can't even pray enough prayers to bring change. As a result we can feel helpless, powerless, often forsaken and forgotten, but the truth is that God is still in the midst of it all. He is mighty and working all things to our ultimate good if we allow him. However in that season, most of his work is being done inside us, hidden from even our own eyes. He is tearing down false survival systems, things we have built to make life work our own way.

Being in one of those painful seasons right now, a song was shared with me, sung by Kristine Dimarco called "Jesus, Your Love." It is an encouraging, heart-healing song that I've played over and over in the darkest of times as things appeared to be getting more and more devastating. I share a few lines with you to hopefully bring you the encouragement and strengthening it has brought to me.

"There is a LOVE that takes me by the hand
Guiding my heart to find its home again
And where YOU are is home to me...
So let my heart tell You again
When SEASONS CHANGE AND STORIES END
Your steady LOVE - it will sustain me through it all..."