Those Burdensome Seasons

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Graeme Wilson in Victory Call

Fall is coming! Ugg boots, bonfires, apple picking, hayrides, oversized sweaters, hot cocoa… and I couldn’t be dreading it more if I tried. It’s not that I dislike the season itself. In fact, I’d probably love it… if it didn’t mean that summer was ending and that every day we get further into fall is a day closer to winter. I’d be perfectly happy with a 6 month long summer!
We all go through seasons we love and seasons we wish we could get out of… and I’m not just talking about weather. Sometimes we go through seasons of life where everything is going right spiritually, relationally, emotionally, financially, etc. …And then there are the seasons we don’t like to even talk about, the seasons where nothing seems to be going right. You all know what I mean: the seasons when we’re struggling with finances and can’t catch a break. The seasons when relationships seem to be drifting, we’re under a lot of stress, and we’re feeling sick. The seasons when we are emotionally drained and feeling helpless. The seasons where we just fall to our knees and ask God to “please let this cup pass!”
My good friend Robbin shared a devotional at a Ladies Tea here this week that resonated with me. It was about the journey of a beautiful teacup. It wasn’t always beautiful. First it was just ugly red clay. Then, it had to be patted and rolled, spun on a wheel, put in an oven, painted, put in an even hotter oven. In this story the teacup was talking about how much pain it went through, but after it went through all of that hurt… it came out a beautiful new creation. The struggles that the potter had the “teacup” go through made the finished product something beautiful.
God knows your struggles. God understands. God loves us. Jesus went through difficult seasons Himself. When Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, before He was betrayed, Scripture says in Mark 14 that Jesus was “troubled and distressed” (Mark 14:33). It says that His soul was “crushed with grief to the point of death” (Mark 14:34). It says that He asked the Father to “please take this cup of suffering away” (Mark 14:36). That’s pretty deep sorrow, but he goes on to say “Not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus suffered, having been betrayed, beaten, and crucified… but look at the beauty that came out of that. He conquered death and was able to save His people from certain destruction.
Are you going through a tough season right now? It’s important to ask yourself: Is this difficult season because of unconfessed, unrepentant, or unresolved sin in your life? If it’s not, and you still feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders… is it possible that God is allowing you to go through this season to make your faith stronger, and to teach you to lean on Him first and to lay your burdens at His feet? Though it’s tough now… maybe God is just getting ready to bring beauty out of the dirt. Just keep trusting Him, because you are so important to Him and the amount of love He has for you is immeasurable.
Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She loves encouraging women through her Victory Calls and finds such joy in praying for her sisters in Christ. Her favorite activities include reading her Bible, encouraging others with scripture, buying new makeup, buying dresses, and eating at the Cheesecake Factory… In that order!