Tips for Embracing the Season You're In

Have you ever really wanted to do something new but felt something deep in your gut telling you it wasn't quite time yet? Or worse, have you ever put everything you had into going after a great big dream only to realize the timing was off and you'd have to take a few steps back?

Maybe you want to teach a class at night, but you've got babies at home who are extra needy during those hours. Maybe you feel called to go back to school but there isn't a program that fits your niche or your budget. Maybe you really want to see the world, start your own business, move to a different city or country, start traveling more, or homeschool your kids, but you know it'll take a while before the timing is right. Or maybe you go after one of those big dreams and things start going sideways quickly and you have to regroup.

Me too. So many times.

In fact, I'm going through one of those times right now, and it's just as difficult as I remember from last time. I think it comes with the territory of being a big family dreamer, but that doesn't make it any easier to bear.

When we're in the thick of it, wondering what step to take next, the best thing we can do is to embrace the season we're in. 

As a parent, you won't always be in the baby season, so try to embrace it and lean into those sweet baby cuddles.

As a grandparent, you won't always be in the sticky-floor, peanut-butter-on-the-couch season, so try to embrace it and lean into every sweet, sticky kiss.

And as a sister or aunt or friend, you won't always be in whatever season you find yourself in right now. Things will change before you know it, so try to embrace anything good you can find where you sit today.

So many huge family togetherness wins happen when we take a deep breath and lean into the season we're in right now.

Trust me - I learned this the hard way.

For years, I struggled to live up to my full potential, to be everything I thought I should be in all kinds of areas, and then, God benched me for a long season, and I had a choice. Would I struggle and try to make something happen right then, no matter what season I and my family were in? Or would I embrace my season, sit on that bench, and listen for a beat? Thankfully, I chose the latter (for the most part) and have been able to enjoy some pretty exceptional family togetherness moments because of it. 

For better or worse, I've always wanted to be the person in front of the classroom teaching, the one on the stage leading worship, the person out in front helping others and leading them into something great. But time and time again, especially as a wife and mom who wants to make the very best of my time with my family, I've realized that my place is to lead, inspire, and help through service instead.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called it the drum major instinct, saying, "If you want to be important - wonderful. If you want to be recognized - wonderful. If you want to be great - wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness." (Hear the whole speech here - it's so powerful.)

As family dreamers, we might be tempted to try to push things from time to time. (I know I am.) We might want to take the helm of our family life and try to forge ahead no matter what. But if the timing isn't right, that forging ahead rarely turns out well for family togetherness (and it usually doesn't work anyway, right?). So, the next time we notice the timing is off on a big family dream or two, what if we embrace our current season, take a note from MLK and lean into some behind-the-scenes service for a while, and work in a hidden place to get ready for what we hope will come next instead?

I bet we'll find a new kind of adventure waiting for us there.

This weekend, I hope you're able to take a moment to recognize the season of life you're in and soak it up, whether that entails kissing babies, side-hugging teenagers, or calling someone on the phone. And I sure hope you're enjoying February, whether that entails hiking a few mountains, running around in the desert, or playing in the snow, ice skating, and snuggling up by a warm fire, or whether it's snorkeling, swimming, and playing in the sand like we're still doing for one more week in the Florida Keys.

I'll be back in touch soon to give a little update on the changes our adventuring family is going through with our catamaran dreams and where we hope to land for the spring and summer, and I hope you'll be in touch too. (Hop into the email group and hit reply on those emails so I can chat with ya - I love getting fun emails and updates from you.)

What about you? What season of life, love, parenthood do you find yourself in right now and what are the really good things you're embracing about that season?

Send me an email in the email group - I'd love to hear about it!