New Clothes For The New Season

In parenting, we go through many frustrating seasons with our children. I am going through challenging seasons with multiple children now. These seasons are usually “graduating” seasons. These are times when they are outgrowing one phase and entering into a new level of maturity. While going through this process they are unfamiliar of what is expected and often want to hold onto the old, so their response can be obnoxious and nerve wrecking to say the least. The “new thing” can be scary and they need to be affirmed continuously to build their confidence. My oldest is entering into the independent stage of driving and feeling like she should be able to go places by herself (she thinks she’s grown). My 12 year old is coming up on teenager and wanting to establish “her rights” (everything is not fair). My almost 5 year old will be starting kindergarten this year and thinks he is the spokesperson and lawyer for his two younger sisters (he thinks he’s grown too, lol). My daughter who just turned 3 is completely potty trained and now doesn’t know what to do with herself (she’s been acting out to get more attention). Finally, my 1 ½ year old has found independence and wants to do everything herself and her way. She doesn’t want to do anything the old way (she is challenging all the rules). All this is happening while I am going through my own season of transition. God is growing us all! Letting go of old things and embracing new things is a mandatory element of growth. Just think about what we would look like if we tried to wear the same clothes we had when we wear 12. If we never took them off, most of us would be busting out of them in length and width. Not only would we look ridiculous, but it would be a painful process of being bound and stretched, bruised and pinched. Our air and circulation would be hindered. The way we go through transition separates growth from maturity. Maturity is shown when we gracefully give up what is no longer useful and embrace what we need for our new season. We show maturity in our attitudes when we respond with humility, receiving instruction and correction without complaining or rebelling. After all, isn’t this how we want our children to respond to us! This is how we can mark the milestones of seasons for our children. We have to recognize where they are at, feed their identities with the truth of what they are facing (according to the Word of God), and lead them to embrace the “new thing”. We will know they are ready and able to handle the responsibility of the new season when they respond with maturity. This is where trust comes in. Once they are mature, then we can trust them with more. If we keep them in their old season (clothes) for too long, we will cause all the pain that I described earlier. Out of their frustration they won’t know how to respond to growth and won’t mature properly. Their spirits will be in chaos because although they have grown out of the old, they are stuck in a place where they no longer belong. This can cause feelings of isolation and rejection because they no longer can identify with the people or things in that season. We are their best example! How we respond to change and growth will impact how they will mature. Are we moving gracefully into our next place? Do we murmur and complain about the “new thing” instead of embracing God graduating us into a new season? Now is the time to evaluate the seasons of our lives. Let’s look at every member of our homes and see where God has them. When we know the season, then we can also better understand (the Issachar anointing 1 Chronicles 12:32) which will help us know what to do. Every season serves a purpose.
 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)
Everything Has Its Time
3 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:


Our desire must be to fulfill the purpose in every season so that we may constantly grow and mature into new levels in Christ. This is true for us as well as our children. The seasons don’t wait. They continue to change with or without us.
 

Genesis 8:22 (NKJV)
22 “While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”
 

Let’s not plant when we should be reaping. Let’s not try to build snowmen when we should be making sand castles. We don’t want to where our swimsuits to walk through the polar vortex. We need to work through our day season and rest through our night. God is not a God of confusion and wants us to have peace. Peace will surely come as we submit to His seasons for our lives and let Him mature us into the people of God that He desires us to be. We must intentionally watch our children and help them through their process. We can’t lose patience or hope in them. We wouldn’t want God to lose patience or hope with us!
 

​Father we thank You that You have given every season a purpose. Forgive us for responding in frustration, fear, and rebellion, instead of seeking you for understanding. We pray for an Issachar anointing that will help us know and understand the seasons in our lives and that of our children. Make us aware of areas that lack maturity so that we may surrender them to you. We willingly release the “clothes” of our old season and boldly put on the new garments that You have presented. Help us have patience with our children as they grow. Give us strategy to help bring them to a place of maturity in everything they do. Let us lead by example. Let us offer them grace as You have given grace to us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!