29 Aug New Shoes and New Seasons by Andrea Graff
When I was younger, every time I’d want new clothes, my mom would make me clean out my closet first. She’d say “If you want new, you’ve got to get rid of the old. There has to be room.” Now, this happened often because, of all the kids in my family, I got the smallest closet (And I’m just realizing that was probably on purpose… a strategy to discourage me from shopping, maybe? Hmmm. They know me too well.)
Every time I enter a new stage of life, I realize over again how true my mom’s statement is to life in general. When we’re preparing to enter a new season, we’ve got to stop and ask ourselves what needs to go in order to make room for the new, not because the old things are wrong… just because they don’t fit into the next season. The new season.
Think of the transition from winter to spring. When the snow melts and flowers begin to bloom, it’s time to put away the snow blower and get out the gardening tools. The snow blower won’t cultivate that pretty garden you want… in fact, it’ll likely do the opposite. It’ll destroy it! And the gardening rake can’t do its job when there’s snow covering the ground, can it? Sure, those tools were useful when in the appropriate season, but they’re season-specific. They were just what was needed then. But now, it’s a new season. It’s time for new things.
That’s how life is. Sure, there are some relationships, memories, and habits that will and should be in our lives forever. There are some that will take a different form. And some…. well, some need to be left when the season moves on. Until we surrender those things that we know are season-specific, we’ll have no room left for the new (and even better) things God’s promised.
Isaiah 43:19 says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”
God promises to help us make that smooth transition into the place to which He’s calling us. But we must be aware of what we should allow to move on with us and what needs to stay behind. I know… much easier said than done. But if we’ll ask, He’ll make it clear. And we can be confident that in our surrender, we’re making room for greater things. We’re making room for an even better season.
Do you have things you know you need to let go of in order to enter into the next season? Maybe they’re things that don’t belong in any season– like past hurts and regrets. Or maybe they’re just season-specific disciplines or friendships. Whatever they are, just know that as you learn to let go of those things, you are making room for new things. Better things. Things that are perfect for this season.
*** This excerpt is taken from Andrea’s 30-day devotional, How Sweet the Sound, available in November. ***