Celebrating the Hard Seasons
Celebrating the Hard Seasons
By Selena Day
The past few years have been some hard seasons for me, so when I heard the Lord whisper to me to celebrate the hard seasons, I said, “yeah, right … you celebrate. I just want to sit here and feel miserable.”
Then very kindly, He whispered again, “Trust me. I do hear you, and I will answer prayers.”
“Really? I’ve been holding on to one promise for a long time, praying and believing that you will bring it to fruition. I have tried to give it up. I specifically on two different occasions put a fleece out concerning letting it go, and both times you answered me with a resounding, ‘Yes, I am going to do it.’ So, I’m having a hard time trusting right now.” I am instantly reminded of the father in Mark 9, who asked Jesus if He could heal his son, and Jesus replied, in verses 23-24: “What do you mean, ‘If I can?’ Jesus asked. ‘Anything is possible if a person believes.’ The father instantly cried out, ‘I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Again, I heard Papa God whisper to me, “Celebrate the hard seasons.”
So, I decided to look up in the dictionary what the word celebrate meant. Celebrate: to acknowledge with a social gathering or enjoyable activity, to honor or praise publicly. (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/celebrate, Dec. 20,
2017.)
“Okay, okay. So, you’re not asking me to be happy about it, just to honor or acknowledge the hard seasons I have been through?”
I don’t know about you, but sometimes God doesn’t give me a full dialogue. He just keeps repeating what He wants me to hear. So, once again, He whispered, “Beloved, celebrate the hard seasons.”
So, here I am talking about the past few years and celebrating these hard seasons. Truthfully, 2017 was a good year for our family, probably one of the best I’ve had in a long time, but it was also a hard year. As I am writing this, I am still struggling with certain things in my life – the loss of loved ones, the high and lows that life can bring, the uncertainty in which living a lifestyle of ministry brings, all the while still praying and believing for the breakthrough. God has been so faithful to me this past year. He has proven Himself over and over, so I also feel guilty for questioning Him.
Recently, I was sharing with a friend that one of the hardest parts of getting older for me is losing the excitement or joy of newness. I mean, in my lifetime, I have seen fashion trends come and go not just once or twice, but several times. The battles our society seems to be fighting are the same battles I remember being fought when I was a child and we don’t seem to have learned any lessons. Because of this, I find at times I become a little hopeless. But, in that moment, I make a choice. Life is all about perspective. So, as I hear my Savior’s whisper, I must change my perspective to focus on Him.
Today, I celebrate that in my hopeless moments, God steps in to become my Hope. Scripture says that it is “Christ in me, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) I love what Paul says in Romans 12:3 (MSG) … “I’m speaking to you out of deep
gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that
you not misinterpret yourself as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and
by what He does for us, not by what we are and what we do for Him.”
God is the most giving entity in the universe, giving to us everything that we need, in every moment of our lives. In the hard seasons, when I want to question God and my faith is low, it is so comforting that it really isn’t about me. I can trust Him to carry my unbelief and my uncertainty for the future. He has promised that He will bring His
promises to pass.
I do not know what 2018 holds. I am believing that it is the year for breakthrough in regard to my prayers. But, more than anything, I am so thankful that I have a Savior that carries me, my burdens and my struggles, and that He never gives up on me. He is always there to keep whispering to me as He tells me, “Beloved, I will fight the battle for you. And you? You just keep your mouths shut!” (Exodus 14:14 MSG)
I pray that you take a moment to celebrate the hard seasons in your own life and to know
that God’s plan for your life is good. Happy New Year.
Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or
event. She can be contacted at selenaday@me.com www.queenliving.org or at
www.facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.
