When It’s Over

Seasons, graduations, baby showers, weddings, retirement parties, gray hairs, joint pains and funerals are all reminders that most things in life don’t last forever. There is truly a time for everything. Seasons come and they go. Though we all know this, many of us have a hard time letting go and moving on. Many of us hate change especially when it exposes our fear of the unknown or it leaves us feeling a sense of loss. Some empty nesters, retirees, widows and widowers experience this in marked ways. Often change leaves us feeling vulnerable with unsure footing. For many it can be painful.

Some years ago, I spent a few months volunteering at a girls home in my native country. It was an eye-opening experience that changed my life forever. These were young girls who were given over to the system for a variety of reasons. The long and short of it was they had no one who could or was willing to take care of them. Some had walked through more than many adults would ever journey in their life time. I ended up having a greater appreciation for what it means to have the stability of a home even with it’s imperfections. Most of these girls didn’t open their hearts very readily – it took time. They had been rejected, abused, neglected and abandoned enough times. With that being said, when they love- they love hard. Some form strong bonds with whoever appears to care. For those girls, change can be very hard. Leaving can be difficult. That picture above is me – leaving a girl who had bonded with me over the months. That was hard – the tears flowed.

So how do we leave when it’s all over? There’s no easy answer; there’s no one size fits all answer. I’ve learned some lessons along the way as I have ‘left’ or moved on a time or two. Whether it was perceived as a good or bad experience, I found there are always some memories to treasure. Treasure the memories that make you smile and never forget the lessons learned from the ones that you’d rather forget. Keep your heart pure. When ever possible, don’t burn your bridges – keep in touch, follow up. One day you may want to revisit it all. Sometimes we walk away with lifetime friends. That experience at the girls home was over twenty years ago – that young lady and I still keep in touch. Our lives touched for a reason. The season was over but the purpose is still alive. You have heard the saying, ‘people come into our lives for a reason and often for a season’. This is true. Discover the reason and understand the season. Take the lessons with you as move into the next season. By the way- take pictures, lots of them. And, print them!

Too often we try to push things beyond it’s season; it then becomes unfruitful and we end up frustrated. There are times when we try to resurrect things that God and time have declared dead. We fight fights that we were not intended to and we become weary. I pray we would ask for discernment in this area. There are things to fight for and things to let go. I know I need wisdom to know the difference. That’s when I pray and or seek counsel if needed.

So when it’s over, let’s celebrate the experience and hold fast to the lessons learned. Never let it be a ‘wasted one’. What lies ahead, often we have no clue. My hope is that when it’s over I would always move on as wiser, kinder and stronger person. I pray the same for you!

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…

God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end…

I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear [honor and trust] him.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 11, 14

***Thanks for reading – Celebrate your seasons and know it’s over.