Embrace the Seasons

  I've come to realize recently how important it is to look at your life and recognize the "season" that you're in. Life is about changes, things don't usually stay the same especially with a growing family.  The season I find myself in right now is a busy one, almost overwhelmingly so sometimes. And I could become overwhelmed if I focus on it and think it will be this way forever, but God has showed me- this is a SEASON- a sliver of time in our life, and a lifetime in itself is short!!

  The season we're in right now, God has us doing things we enjoy doing, things we talked about in the past but had no idea how they'd come about. I will repeat- "it's a busy season" almost chaotic at times, but God is giving us the grace to do what He's called us to do. Dutch & I enjoy serving people. We enjoy speaking into peoples lives. We enjoy building relationships. But all of those things take time, energy, sacrifice.

  We are also in a season of parenting. Raising five children is a full time job. Raising them with a kingdom perspective, and teaching them about God in a real tangible way can be a challenge. We want them to be a part of what we're doing here, yet allow them the freedom to express how they really feel about it. We want them to travel with us when we have the opportunity to share, but realize that's a sacrifice on their part sometimes because its not a typical lifestyle. We try to make up for the time we lose with them due to serving other people, by doing something creative one day through the week because we know our "season" of raising them is short but will impact and shape their future in a big way!!!

  Another season we're in is one of cramped quarters!! Seven people in a 2 bedroom house, (with hardwood floor that causes noise to be amplified instead of drowned out by carpet) is not always ideal. Our house is also a hub of other activity, one room in our basement serves as a schoolroom for the on-site kids and another room as Dutch's office. Of course, Dutch, and the craftsman that he is, has an expansion plan- a vision in his mind of using the screened in back porch area and making it into a bedroom and a bigger sitting room area. The addition wouldn't be big, but would do wonders for us. And while the budget currently keeps us from pursuing that, I've been talking to God about it, after all He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He (God) could sell a couple beef cows and that would probably cover the cost of the project;) In the meantime we remind our children, especially our son Madison who shares a room w/ 3 of his sisters, that this is a small window of time in his life. And these things can build character, teach us lessons, shape who we are!!! Many people around the world have much less than we do.

  Some days this season of life is full of questions. Are we nuts? Is the Haft really becoming what God wants it to be? How do we best serve the different people and situations that come our way? Are we really making a difference in peoples lives? Is the Father pleased with our labor? And if this is only a season, then what will the next season hold??

  I say all of this to say- life is a story book. It has chapters. They all tie together to make one book, but you have to read them in order, ONE AT A TIME. Enjoy each one, don't jump ahead. You may have a good idea what the outcome will be, but there will be surprises along the way. Take your time, don't be in a hurry, the Author will wrap it all up at just the right time. And if you give up before you finish the book, you'll never know what you missed. But when you stand on the shore of Heaven and you look back at your short life on earth, you want to be able to say- "I have embraced every season, I have lived & loved well, it has not been perfect, but I have made the most of every precious day He allowed me to live." And you want to hear the Father say- "I am well pleased."