Your Season is a Blessing, Not a Curse

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound…I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).  
 
Perhaps you have decided that you will celebrate others, and you will strive to be content in every season, taking every thought into captivity to serve the Lord well, but you’re still wondering “What about me?” It’s natural to think that God has skipped over you and sometimes you think it’s unfair that others have received answers to their prayers while you are stuck in the waiting room.  

There will be times when everyone around you is moving on to better things. They will enter new seasons while you are still walking through yours. Perhaps you’ve gotten to the point where you believe that your duty in life is to watch everyone else live out their dream while you are meant to be the encourager, the counselor, and the cheerleader on the sidelines. Always the caretaker, never the receiver.  

Your season of waiting is not a curse. In fact, it’s a blessing. You can’t look at your life as though it is somehow worth less in God’s eyes than someone else’s is. He’s not withholding from you; He’s being a good parent.  

If you have children, you know that even though your kids want something so badly—a new bike, a four-wheeler, their first phone, a car—they don’t need these things until they are ready for them. They might not understand why you won’t let them have what they want, but they must mature first, and you must teach them how to use these things safely and show them the value of responsibility. Kids always think they are ready before they really are, so parents must protect them and know when to give good gifts.  

You might be ready to smack the next person who says, “All in God’s timing,” but remember that He’s seen your whole life. He’s already been to the end of your days, and He knows what you need when you need it. He never gives anything a moment too soon, and He’s never late.  

As you care for others, as you choose to celebrate instead of becoming envious, and you choose to serve instead of being complacent, don’t forget that the Lord still sees you. Keep believing. See your season not as a curse, but as a place to grow deeper roots. Draw ever closer to the Lord, because the real gift is not the gift but the Giver.