What’s The Season?

Have you ever given advice and then realized the advice was exactly what you needed to hear as well?

I was talking with a friend the other day about the importance of recognizing the season we are in. How God gives us a different seasons for different purposes and lessons that we need as well as blessings He wants us to enjoy in that season. If we rush through trying to move on to the next chapter we miss all that the current one entails.

As I wrote Rescued Redeemed and Restored I continually told myself that the sacrifice with my friends and time with my family would only be a season. I focused on the goal and promise God had shown me and He gave me the strength to finish. I knew it was only a season.

Since I released my book my life has taken a sudden shift in seasons. One that I was expecting in the new year, but not at Thanksgiving time. I had so many things that I had yet to do, but God stopped me right in my tracks and said “all done it’s time to shift.”

It was four days after the release of my book and I was still basking in it all. I marveled at all God had allowed me to do for Him when God shifted my season unexpectedly. It was 3:40 am when I woke from a dead sleep. I walked into the bathroom because at 8 months pregnant having to pee every 30 seconds is a real problem. I just knew something wasn’t right. As I looked down I saw blood everywhere. Yelling to Skyler to wake up I told him we needed to go to the hospital. It turns out I had been bleeding for hours already.

As I got to the hospital no one seemed to know what was happening. I wasn’t in “active labor” and the baby was perfect. Yet there I lay still bleeding without any answers. I was admitted for monitoring when my contractions began and before we knew it, we welcomed our fourth son into the world at 35 weeks. It wasn’t until he arrived that we discovered my placenta was split open and the umbilical cord was around Zions neck. I am so thankful for a God who has perfect timing and created my body to know when it’s time was up.

There Zion was before me laying on my chest and I could feel something all too familiar. His breathing was off. You see our firstborn was immediately taken from birth and admitted to the NICU for his lungs were not being developed. He was rushed to another hospital by ambulance where we then stayed for almost three weeks. The memories came flooding in as I held our sweet Zion. But it wasn’t long before the unexpected emotion of Peace came. It was like God laid a blanket over Zion and me and said peace be still. And that we were.

I looked at the nurse and said you can take him, I know what’s wrong. She took him and there Skyler and Zion went to the NICU. His breathing was labored and although he was large for being 5 weeks early he was still a premie. That afternoon I was able to get up and go see him. We were told we would be there for two weeks as his body developed, but that he would be fine.

For the next week I spent my time between my babies at home and sitting with my baby in the hospital. There was no question about it. I knew my season had changed. My family needed me and I needed them.

Five days passed and we got a phone call to bring up his Carseat. We were told he was doing amazing and that they expected to release him that next morning on the 6th day. We were in shock. I looked at my husband and cried, confessing what I had been feeling. “ I don’t want to drop the ball with my book now that it’s finished and I have so many things left to do, but it all can wait. Our babies are single handily the greatest accomplishment of my life and I refuse to miss one more day with them.” I could barely get out my words I felt them so deep. It’s only been a few days home with our little man, but the feeling still has not passed. My season has changed and there is no denying it. So here I will rest, nestled close to the ones who need me the most. Taking time to heal and learning how to be a Mommy to my now 4 little boys.

Embrace the season God has for you and know that He has you there for a reason. We serve a God with impeccable timing and who knows exactly what we need and when we need it. Remember, seasons never stay the same so take time for the one you are in.