There’s always a lot to be thankful for in a day, let alone in a week. These past few weeks were no different and held some pretty special moments. All around me were signs that the seasons are changing.
Here are a few:
The weather has started to change a bit, as have the colors of the trees. Yep. Nothing stays the same, that’s for sure. The summer is flying by, and the winds of change are being felt around here for sure.
This girl, this once little feisty beautiful spunky girl isn’t 8 anymore. Nope. She’s a young woman…who’s in love with a man who loves her like crazy and adds calm to her and her spunky self. They’re getting married, and that’s definitely a season change. Am so happy for the two of them and for our families…as we celebrate in their new ventures.
And the seasons are changing in other new ways. Black Bean pasta has become a thing at our house as have flax seeds and coconut oil. Some health issues have helped guide the changes. Some of us are enjoying the new foods. Others, well, some might be a bit resistant to some of the new…. and one such person happens to be the man my kids call “Gramps” and the one I’m so thankful to call Dad. He adapts well to most change, but, well, we all have limits, and ‘black bean pasta’ was one of his ❤ (It does look pretty unappetizing in the photo…ugh, but trust me, with olive oil and tomatoes and some good spices and parmesan cheese, well it’s not so bad!)
Another indicator of how quickly seasons change came in a letter in the mail. It was from a friend of my daughter’s. She knew some of my children’s kindergarten teacher…who then sent some sweet photos I hadn’t seen. This little guy…well, he’s a senior in college at UNC-Wilmington. Yeah, time sure does fly. (But here’s the cool thing about that..even though there’s change, some things stay the same. It’s late Thursday night, and due to Hurricane Dorian, he came home to be out of harm’s way, …and his current situation is skateboarding with 2 brothers on the skateboard ramp in the driveway in the dark. I’ve heard the sound of boys on skateboard wheels through lots and lots of changing seasons. Yes, there are constants in the midst of change. Thankful for that.
Another change, well, this one lives in NYC and I hadn’t seen him since Christmas. He made a trip home and connected with family and was such a blessing to us all. I try not to bemoan the time apart because I’m so thankful that my kids are ‘out there’ doing their thing, but I sure am incredibly thankful when we get to spend time together. He’s incredibly intentional about connecting with others and is such a good example for all of us of what a gift it is to have loved ones who are in there with us…even when they’re not with us. So, I’m choosing to be thankful for the moments together for sure. (And cool thing is, I get to go see him really soon on his turf. Thankful for sure.)
I also got to reconnect with some friends I hadn’t seen over a decade. They messaged me out of the blue and I met them for coffee in 15 minutes… We literally laughed and cried quite a bit. It’s such a gift to be known. Really is. Even when it’s in the hard places. As I sat and drank coffee with them, I kept thinking that my husband would really enjoy seeing them as well. When I made the call to him, he was at the coffee shop within 15 minutes as well. And even though we’re going through stuff of our own and struggling to find our way in a new season, it was such a great gift to be together and laugh and have real conversation with folks who had been along for different legs of the journey we were on, and could as a result, really get the season we’re in. It was fun to see that through all the seasons, it felt like no time whatsoever had passed. We all were so who we were decades ago….a little more gray for sure, but hopefully a lot wiser ❤
Some seasons seem to have more of an impact than others. Some seasons come and go with little impact, little change. Then, there are those that wreak havoc and can cause incredible change. In the same way that Dorian blasted through the Bahamas, some things can come into our lives that change everything. They can be devastating like Dorian and cause us to rethink everything we thought we knew or had. Or, change can be beautiful like the birth of a child, or engagement of two people in love. Even the good ones take a little getting used to. Some changes last, but hopefully, no matter how the change starts out, dedication and wisdom and perseverance, not to mention hard work and prayer, prayer, prayer, can help make a change have positive effects. Beauty can indeed rise from ashes, but it sure doesn’t come in an instant. We’ve had a year of some tough changes, but I’m thankful to say, that I’m seeing some beauty come out of the yuck, and a moving forward, step by step, day by day.
Well, it’s 11:59 on this “Thankful Thursday” and I better call it a night. But yes, am thankful for so many things–even in the midst of changing seasons. I’m thankful that God doesn’t change…”His steadfast love endures forever.” Knowing that, well, that’ s like an anchor that helps to steady my heart through the winds of change, that’ s for sure. God is so very faithful,.. and knowing that truth helps me have eyes of faith to look for the beauty no matter the season. I’ve learned that there’s always beauty to be found. Sometimes you might just have to look for it a little harder.
Blessings ~
Heather
“Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
Isaiah 54:10
soletusknow 