Do you like change? How about the change of seasons? Each season has beauty and challenges. But all seasons bring change. What season of life are you in? You may be in a difficult season of sickness, a relaxing retirement, or a busy season with many demands. Whatever the season you are in, God is with you, so don’t forget about Him. He is there to help you and to give you peace, strength, and wisdom.
When Multiple Seasons Coincide
I am still in the season of caring for my handicapped mother since 2012, who has dementia. For many years, I cared for her in her home, which was a three-hour drive; now she is in a local Nursing home. This season was challenging because it coincided with working full-time, attending grad school part-time, and attending endless sporting events my youngest teenage son was involved in. At the same time, my oldest son was a drug addict for ten years. I say all this to encourage you, that God is my help, and He sustained me through it all. God will sustain you as well. 2Chronicals 16:9a (NIV) states, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” Is your heart fully committed to God?
My favorite uplifting scripture is Isaiah 46:3b-4 (NIV), “Listen to me, …, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you, and I will rescue you.” Sustain means to support, provide for, hold up, to keep (a person, the mind, the spirits, etc.) from giving way, as under trial or affliction. Sustain also means to supply with food, drink, and other necessities of life (Dictionary.com 2025). Psalm 55:22 states, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” Also, Isaiah 50:4 states, “The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary.” I pray that this post offers words of hope and encouragement to sustain you in your seasons of change.
Enduring Difficult Seasons
You can trust and rely on God when you are in or facing a season of difficulty, even if you feel overwhelmed and can’t sense God’s nearness. He is there, carrying you whether you are aware of it or not. God (the “I am”) promises to sustain you and even rescue you. Read over Isaiah 43:4 again. Note the phrase “I will.” These are promises. You can trust God to keep His promises. I have written about many of God’s promises in my book “Unlocking God’s promises.” Jesus promised to give you peace in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” 1John 5:4 explains, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” And Hebrews 11:6 states, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
Transitioning to a New Season
I am entering a new season of change and uncertainty, but aren’t all seasons like that? This is why we need to hold onto God to help us navigate each season of our lives. I retired about six months ago, which was a breeze. I loved it. I got so many projects done. Retirement is great, but my husband is retiring next month, which will drastically change my retirement season. I like to be in control of what, when, and how I do things. I also pace myself throughout the day to get everything done. Having him home all day will be difficult, as he will want me to be part of his agenda. I am already getting very stressed about it. But remember, all thoughts are in my control, and I will take every thought captive. I may not be able write posts as often as I have in the last eight years, but everyone who reads my posts is in my prayers.
Here are ways to navigate life’s seasonal changes with grace.
- Find something praiseworthy to focus on.
- Embrace the changes and know that you will find a new normal.
- Discuss common interests and potential conflicts, and how to mitigate them.
- Talk about expectations and concerns. The more you understand each other’s expectations and concerns, the easier the transition will be. For example, when I began working full-time, I would not have time to do all the housework. So my husband and I worked out a way to split the chores.
- Commit all your frustrations to the Lord, and seek His wisdom to overcome problems that inevitably occur in any season you are in.
To help with the transition of having my husband around every day and all day, I suggested we buy a van and turn it into a camper van, then take short trips around the US while we still have our health. This will give us a common goal rather than being annoyed with each other for interrupting our individual agendas. Does this make sense? If you have any other suggestions, I would love to hear them. Please leave a comment. I understand that this plan can backfire, and other issues will sneak up. Gary’s parents are old, and so are my mother and my aunt, so they could die or suffer a major health crisis, which will bring in a new season. The key is to trust God and rely on Him to sustain you and help you.
**********
All verses are from the English Standard Version. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family: hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright-protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.
My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.
If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.
Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and the truths behind them. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles. Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, the 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.
Hope for Complete Healing 