We are experiencing a change of season, here in the UK.

Summer has been and gone.

Everywhere you can see and feel the signs of autumn; brown leaves, warm coats, colder weather and darker days.

To be honest, I get frustrated by the signs of autumn.

I don’t like dragging my kids out in dark and rainy days. I am not a fan of extremely-sweet, pumpkin-spiced lattes. Plus, anyone who really knows me understands that I do not enjoy being cold. At all. Being cold makes me snappy.

Spiritually, I feel like I am in a new season. But, again, I haven’t embraced the signs of this new season.

I’ve been lonely. I keep trying to see people, but plans don’t work out and I get a tugging sense within that God doesn’t want me busy.

Sometimes I can be in a room full of people and I still feel lonely. A couple of times this week I have been in rooms full of toddlers and their parents. Yet, I haven’t had the deep conversations which I crave.

I’ve been unable to do things in my own strength anymore. I try to fix problems by myself, but my heart knows that method won’t work out.

I felt God speak to me this morning.

I felt him invite me to come away with him. Just me and Him, for a season.

There is a need in my spirit that only He can fulfill. Only God’s friendship can satisfy my deepest craving in this loneliness that I feel.

He wants me to believe that He is enough. To trust Him and go His way, in faith.

What I am trying to say is: Sometimes we despise signs of a new season. Sometimes we don’t want things to be the way they are.

But God loves us and he knows what we need at any given time.

What if I begin to see my loneliness as an opportunity to be near to God?

What if he’s not satisfying my desire to be entertained and busy and full because He wants to remind me that only he can truly fill me?

I felt reminded of Psalm 68:

“Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,

Extol Him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before Him – His name is the Lord.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

God sets the lonely in families, he leads out prisoners with singing;

But the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”

Psalm 68: 4 – 6, NIV.

We can despise the signs of a new season. We can walk away from it and refuse to embrace. Or we can sing to God in every season and trust his leadership. He knows what we need. We can walk with him.

Like most people, we are also feeling the pinch as prices rise; energy bills and food shopping are expensive, to say the least. With that, I feel like there are a few things God is asking me to live without. Again this makes for more space, more emptiness in the day to day. More: “What are we going to do now?”

Most of the time he doesn’t want us to do anything, He just wants us to be with him.

And here He is asking me: “Will you just be with my and lay those things down? Will you lay down your need for busyness and find purpose in me? Will you draw near me for one of those deep conversations you long for? Will you trust in me for provision?“

I’ve mostly resisted these changes. But, you know, even in the smallest moments of surrender, I have found joy like I haven’t felt in a long time.

For instance, I took my kids out in the rain on Friday. I resisted the urge to jump into a warm, coffee shop and went to a slightly cold and free library.

After the library visit, I walked home and made my kids some hot, chocolate milk with some little marshmallows that have previously lived in baking box… for months.

My kids were delighted and we laughed as my littlest did special sound effects to emphasise his enjoyment!

He let out a massive: “AAAAAAAHHHHH” after every sip and entertained my daughter and I with huge, long slurping noises, despite the fact there was only a few gulps worth of milk in the cup!

I’ve had more moments like that: Moments in which I just scoop my toddlers up and embrace them.

Those that know me will know I am not a savoring person. I rarely stop and enjoy the now; I am quite often dreaming about the next baby, the next season or the next trip away.

But here He is showing me how to praise Him in this season. Answering my prayers in only a way that He can. In those moments that I haven’t walked away from His voice, I’ve seen breakthrough.

I guess what I want to say to you today is:

• What are you resisting?
• Is there a feeling you are pushing away?
• Is there a direction that God is taking you in that you are blatantly walking away from?

I don’t say that with judgement. How could I! Just this morning I ignored a nudge from the Holy Spirit.

But you and I have opportunity to say sorry to God, to accept his forgiveness and then accept His grace as we return to Him again.

This is the life of a believer: We have this never-ending relationship with a God who really does know what’s best for us, even when we don’t like what is best for us! He shows us where we should go, rather than where we want to go because He has a better plan. A better way.

The bible says:

““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55: 8 – 9, NIV.

Embracing the season looks like embracing the author of the season.

It looks like spending time is His presence and being obedient to His word.

I don’t know where this finds you today. But I want to leave you with another God-moment I had earlier this morning.

I was getting dressed and I had the song “Jireh” in my head, by Maverick City and Elevation Worship. (Jireh is another name for God, meaning “God provides”.)

The song goes:

“Jireh, you are enough.

And I will be content in every circumstance.”

Jireh – Marverick City and Elevation Worship

I’ve sang that before and I’ve not really meant it!

But, today, something flipped in my spirit: He is enough and I will be content in every circumstance. Not because I’m willing myself to be O.K, but because, with Jesus, it really is well in my spirit. With Jesus, it is well in my soul.

I can be content in Him. It is a fact. It isn’t like a statement of future faith, it’s a truth I can live in right now. I can now be content in His presence. This very moment.

• Is He enough for you?
• Do you know that He is with you, right now?
• What does that mean, for you?

Jesus said:

“I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually – regardless of circumstance and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28: 20, AMP.

He is with us and His presence makes us different. It makes us content in situations or seasons that we don’t label as “inviting.”

And so, as you admire falling leaves on pavements and queue for your ridiculously sugary pumpkin drinks, remember to embrace the one that has is with you in every season of the soul.

Check yourself! Don’t despise where He has brought you, because I believe that He is doing something good and holy in your life right now. The fruit of this season will be incredible for you – it is very much worth you pushing through any pain that discipline is causing you.

He will satisfy your every deep desire, but you need to let Him. You need to let Him lead you. You need to let Him show you His everyday wonder, just as I found in my slow and seemingly boring rainy days.

Neither one of us is going to get this perfect but that’s O.K because He embraces us, even when we stumble. His arms reach out towards us, always.

So let’s make a change and let’s accept what he is teaching us in this spiritual season. I’d love to hear what this means for you in the comments below.