During Its Season

The push and pull of venting vs encouragement.

I realize that, as a writer, I sometimes feel the urge to vent through my writing, thinking it will help me feel better about certain circumstances. But honestly, it doesn't always do much good, even once everything is laid out. Lately, I’ve been feeling something else that’s been pushing against that tendency—encouragement.

I have so much to be thankful for, and I've seen blessings pour into my life and my family’s life time and time again. I often think about the Apostle Paul saying he’s speaking in human terms because of the weakness of our flesh. I relate to that—disappointment, stress, and worry can overwhelm us, trying to rob us of the good things happening in our lives. I think most of us want to be encouraging to others, but sometimes we get distracted.

With that in mind, I’d like to share some thoughts.

“He will be like a planted tree over streams of water, producing its fruit during its season. Its leaf never droops— but in all he does, he succeeds.” Psalm 1:3

I find a lot of encouragement in this scripture, and I hope it will be encouraging for you too. First, just like with gardening, there are seasons for growth. I often think of life in terms of seasons, and this verse is a big reason why. Sometimes we try to force things to happen before they're ready, before we’re ready. Then, when things don’t work out the way we expect, we look for reasons to blame. But what if it’s just not the right season yet? Those blessings you’re waiting for—they might be just around the corner, in the next season. I know patience is hard, especially in a hustle culture where everyone’s pushing to “get it done now.” My message here is to keep cultivating the ground, keep working, and hang on for the harvest season.

Another thought I get from this passage is that when you’re planted in the right place, you will succeed. I think many of us try to fit into spaces we weren’t meant for, whether it's where we’re planted or how we’re growing. It doesn’t always go according to our plans, and we scramble to force things back to what we think they should be.

So, where are your guiding lines? This can be a tough question to answer, and it can lead to a lot of different conversations, depending on who you're talking to. Some might read this scripture and think it's a sermon they don’t want to hear. For me, I find value in scripture and guidance in my relationship with Yeshua. Sometimes I need my lines corrected, my thoughts refocused—and He’s faithful to do that. Sometimes He uses people in my life to nudge me, and I see the beauty in that.

What is your aim? Are you chasing success for vanity’s sake, or do you have a deeper goal that benefits others? Maybe it's that misplaced focus or vanity that keeps getting in the way of the success you’re trying to achieve.

Here’s my encouragement to you: take a moment to examine yourself, your guiding lines, and your view of success. What does success mean to you, and what might be holding you back from reaching it? If you feel comfortable, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.

Thank you for sticking with me.

As always,

Do Better. Be Better.