6 Tips for Appreciating Your Current Season of Life

Perhaps you have been planning for a huge milestone that finally came to fruition. Maybe you have been working endlessly for months, or even years, toward a monumental milestone. Perhaps you have recently purchased a new home, married the love of your life, had a baby, or landed your dream job.

Perhaps you have been praying, planning, and crying out to God for a colossal, life-changing milestone that just came into existence. You are now in a place of excitement or questioning reality. Did it really happen? What happens next? How do I transition to this new period of life? What do I have to look forward to now?

Seasons of waiting can be difficult; but they can also teach us significant life lessons. Perhaps you just welcomed your first child into the world, and you are already feeling pressured to figure out the timeline of adding to your family again. Maybe you just purchased your new home and you are already envisioning and planning for your “forever home,” which you hope will have closets the size of a master bedroom.

After years and years of countless hours in the office, sacrificing your social life, and spending too many holidays at the office, perhaps you recently landed your dream job and now you feel lost and even a bit disappointed that it did not leave you feeling more complete.

It is so easy to continuously want to fixate our eyes on one specific goal and work tirelessly until we achieve it. It is also essential and healthy to have goals and dreams; however, it is also imperative to learn to soak in your current season of life.

6 Tips for Appreciating Your Current Season of Life

There are several key components to learning to appreciate your current season of life:

1. Instead of fixating our eyes solely on worldly accolades, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus. Sometimes it is the seasons of waiting or seasons of disappointment that help us draw closer to God and cling to Him. It reminds us that making money is nice, but it does not fulfill us. It reminds us that having children is a beautiful gift, but we need the spiritual and emotional strength to raise tiny humans who God can use to make an impact on the world.

It reminds us that buying a home does bring a sense of ownership and pride, but following and obeying Jesus bring a much more in-depth sense of belonging and companionship. Isaiah 58:11, “And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorches places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

2. Know that you will face seasons filled with wilderness and valley moments – low points and disappointing and downright difficult and lonely times. You may face a season of staleness in your marriage. You may have multiple seasons where you are completely overwhelmed with parenting and do not know how to handle toddler temper tantrums.

You will most likely face changing seasons, where family members move, loved ones pass away, and your teenagers no longer cling to you like they did when they were younger. These are seasons that God can use to breathe life into your soul. These are the seasons where it may be helpful to take up running or yoga.

It may be helpful to recite Scripture more frequently and turn up the praise music as you drive to the office. These are the seasons of life where it is imperative to cling tightly to Him. Perhaps these seasons will mean building new relationships, going on dates with your spouse more frequently, or attending your first counseling session.

Isaiah 41:10 reminds us, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me, God?” maybe we can ask, “What can you teach me through this, God?”

3. Know that you will face seasons of mountain top experiences. There will be seasons of new babies, first time home purchases, and promotions at work that leave you feeling giddy and blessed. It is in these seasons that we need to be reminded that instead of looking around comparing our life and our accomplishments to others that we take time to look up and thank God for everything He has blessed us with.

It is in these moments where we may need to escape from social media for a time and just be. Just breathe in the blessings and make memories. Enjoy painting your new home with your spouse. Enjoy a picnic and movie night in the living room with your children after you receive that big work promotion.

Enjoy spontaneous road trips with your spouse when you can. Make memories and etch the laughter into your heart and cling tightly to it when you face seasons of hardship.

4. Surround yourself with supportive friends and family. Regardless of whether you are facing a beautiful season or a difficult season in life, it is important to have friends and family to celebrate with you, cry with you, and be there to remind you to look up instead of waiting for something bad to happen when things are going well.
5. Know that you are more than a job title or the size of the home you live in. It is important to realize your worth and know that your identity is so much more than a job title or how much money you make. Regardless of whether you are in an established career or just passing through, know that God has you where you are for a reason and He can use you regardless of your title.

Let your work ethic and attitude speak for themselves. Ask other people how they are doing. Show compassion when you can. Drop off a meal for your co-worker who just had a baby. Go out of your way to show the love of Jesus.

6. Appreciate simplicity and downtime when you can. It was once said, “Until God opens the next door, praise Him in the hallway.” Instead of always looking ahead and living by your planner and to do list, it is pivotal to your spiritual and emotional health to pause from time to time and appreciate simplicity.

It is healthy to have a weekend without major plans or to do something spontaneous with your family. Praise God where you are and with what you have. You might or might not be in a season of major life changes, but God can use any season of life to draw us closer to Him, make beautiful memories with our family and friends, appreciate the career we are in, and take time to build relationships with those around us.

If you are waiting for the next big change, know it is okay if your home is smaller. Maybe it is more about appreciating the simple things in life. It is okay if you do not have the bank account to take a huge vacation. Memories can be made on day trips to local parks and museums. It is okay if you do not yet know what your dream job is or how many children you would like to have.

We do not have to know every single detail about our lives, God promises us that He can use any season of life for His purpose. Jeremiah 29:11, ““For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ””

If you are dealing with anxiety about the current season of life, dealing with baggage from something that happened years ago, or you are living fearful of what is to come, schedule a counseling session today. We want to help you navigate the beautiful seasons and the stormy seasons of life.