How does the season affect your walk with Jesus?

Life has seasons, both big picture seasons (single vs married, young kids vs grown kids, etc) but let’s not forget the actual yearly seasons. I have found that while in the “big picture season” I’m living in (older school aged kids who are home schooled and one child in college), that the year breaks naturally into 3 “smaller picture” seasons: September through December (school heavy), January through May (slightly lighter school schedule, but lots of planning and other events), June through August (summer - no school, college kid home, schedules are out the window).

Instead of fighting those seasons and expecting them all to be the same, I’ve begun to try and work with them - to adjust my expectations based on the season. I’m also noticing that I can pay attention to the different types of issues that come up during these different seasons and see them as opportunities for spiritual growth.

For example, during the summer, I wrestle with my desire for control because any semblance of routine or predictability disappears. I have teens driving all over for jobs and social plans, which frequently causes me to struggle more with anxiety. There’s more time with family while on vacation or day trips, which reminds me to be present with my people instead of always distracted with other things.

If you were to divide up your year into seasons based on the big picture “season” of life you’re in right now, how would you do it? What does the rhythm of your year look like? Does it revolve around a school schedule? Or is it more like winter, spring, summer, and fall? Or is it governed by something else? Major holidays, perhaps? Work rhythms?

Which season are you in now? Is it about to change? Take a look at the current or upcoming season. What spiritual struggles does that season tend to bring to the surface? Anxiety? Loneliness? A striving for control? Trouble respecting others’ boundaries? Difficulty enforcing your own boundaries?

I’ve talked in the past about the importance of reflection and being aware of how you’re doing spiritually. One way of being aware is to be looking at the season you’re in and how that affects the things you struggle with. If you’re aware that you struggle more with anxiety, for example, in the season you’re about to enter, you can then begin praying and trying to understand why that is. Use the BUILD method to get below the surface and deal with the root causes of those struggles.

I would love to hear about how your year divides out. What rhythms does it create? Let me know in the comments. And if you’re comfortable sharing how what you struggle with changes with those seasons, I’d love to hear that, too.