INTRODUCTION
We all want to flourish in life, but in order to do that it helps to understand that life is a gift from God and to recognize the season of life we are in Just as we head toward a new Fall season, we might also be heading into a different season in our lives. Are you a student starting or going back to college, single, newly married, young mom, married for several years, mom of several kids, working a career, empty nester, retired, grandparent, new Christian, non-Christian, or seasoned Christian? Awareness of life stages and seasons matter as we look at the challenges and blessings in each season of life. We are going to examine a section of Ecclesiastes, which is part of the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, to understand how to best navigate the season we are in or heading into
ABOUTUS
Real Women is a ministry of Trinity Church that seeks to encourage women in their pursuit of healthy relationships with Jesus first, then others. If you don’t know Jesus, we’d love to tell you about Him (see Gospel section; pg. 11)! The Bible tells us in John 15:4 that when we abide or remain IN Him, we will produce fruit in our lives, but if we don’t stay connected to Him we won’t be fruitful. He will guide us, comfort us, and protect us! This is encouraging because it gives us a foundation and direction for all of our other relationships.
As we all pursue Jesus, we come to Him as we are (REAL women) and leave changed by Him! Only God can heal our brokenness, calm our anxiety, forgive our sins, love us unconditionally, be a perfect Father, guide us in personal holiness, and SO much more! No time spent with Him is wasted. He already knows us inside and out, every hair on our head, every desire of our heart, every pain and joy we experience. Like any other relationship, the more time we spend listening and talking to Jesus, the more intimately we get to know Him and His plan for our lives. We encourage you to be REAL with Him. He cares more than you can imagine and will never stop!
TESTIMONY SPOTLIGHT
We closed out the RW Spring semester with prayer and worship, while handing out prayer cards for each woman to take and commit to pray for over the summer. We’ve already had some testimonies come through, and we wanted to share one with you.
My hard season was in 2013. I had just found out I was pregnant after trying for over 2 years! Struggling to conceive was not something I pictured myself enduring, but it was the path I found myself on I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. I had made it through the valley and God had finally delivered His promise. My heart was overjoyed, to say the least, and I could not wait for our first ultrasound.
The weeks leading up to the appointment were slow, but I filled my time with prayer, talking and dreaming about hopes for the future. When my appointment day finally arrived, I couldn’t make it to the doctor’s office fast enough After waiting patiently for my name to be called, it was finally time! The ultrasound quickly went from joy and excitement to sorrow and despair … our baby did not have a heartbeat. My entire world changed instantly. The doctor’s words sounded like a Charlie Brown phone call, and I couldn’t understand what he was telling me. I tried to remain strong and pulled together, but the tears would not stop. My heart shattered into a million pieces and there was absolutely nothing I could do.
I managed to make the journey home, but anger started to swell inside of me as I banged my fists against the steering wheel.
“Why, why, why!” were the words I cried out to God. “Why me? I had waited so long and now this happens”. I had to pull the car over because I was so overwhelmed with emotion. As I sat there in silence a song came on the radio. Chris Tomlin’s song “Good, Good Father ” brought me to my knees as I heard
the faint whisper of God. I was having an encounter with my Father! I had to decide in that moment of loss if I truly believed that God is good. I spent too much of life living rebelliously, so I knew what life would look like without Him. Sitting in my car just off the freeway in a gas station parking lot, I decided to throw myself into the arms of my Savior. I decided to trust, believe, listen, obey, and abide in Him. I went on to experience three more miscarriages, each one just as painful and heart breaking as the first, but I learned to abide in Him more each time!
Your trial or hardship may not be miscarriage. It may be a prodigal child, a rocky marriage, health issues, trauma or abuse, the death of a loved one or close friend, brokenness, oppression, or fill in the blank. The one thing that got me through my trial was my faith in Jesus. It was and is only because of Him that I can stand in faith still believing He is good, He cares, He hears, and He listens. Lamentations 3:19-24 reads:
“The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in HIM!”
In every season, my hope in Christ is what keeps my heart steadfast. What a joyful day it will be when I meet my heavenly babies, but until that day comes, I will continue to proclaim the faithfulness of the Father’s heart, and through it all I will praise His name. He is greater than the battles we face. He is constant in the moments we break. He is holding us in His hands. Don’t give up, be encouraged, my friend, God is near!
*Testimony is from a courageous woman that we will leave anonymous (not pictured)
Has the Lord helped you through a difficult season? We’d love to hear about it! Email us at realwomen@trinitychurch.com
WHAT SEASON ARE YOU IN?
When our kids were little, it took them a while to understand that the clothes they wore needed to change with the seasons, (even though it mostly rained). Otherwise, we'd have kids making snowmeninflipflops,andwearingwintercoatstothepool.
Life is about seasons as well, and if we are hoping for it to always be easy or great we will be disappointed! On the other hand, if we think it’s always going to be hard or miserable, we will miss God’s goodness in our lives I want to start by turning our minds to being thankful, no matter what our current season might be. I like to start and end my day by thanking the Lord for people and thingsinmylife!Ifwebeginwithgratitudeitdirectsouroutlookoverourcircumstances.Ourwhole life is about walking in faith with God, knowing that He loves us, disciplines us, trains us, and prepares us for eternity with Him. There will be good days and bad days, but every day is under God’s providence or divine purpose, which means NOTHING gets wasted. Ecclesiastes talks about lifebeinghebel,whichisHebrewfor“vapor”or“merebreath”.Inotherwords,lifegoesquickly,like when you see your breath come and go on a cold winter morning (which rarely happens here in AZ!). Sometimes when we are in a difficult season it can seem long, but in the scheme of life it’s shortandprovidesanopportunitytograbJesus’handandasktheHolySpirittowalkthroughitwith us The author of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon full of wisdom, tells us in chapter 3 that there are seasonsinlife:
3 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace
Life isn’t constant joy or pain, it ebbs and flows as God grows us and guides us through each circumstance we encounter What season are you in? Can you relate to any verse or verses above? How do you move from one season to the next without getting stuck? If you read through the book of Ecclesiastes, it is honest about the toil of life “under the sun” (appears 29 times). We work hard but the world, relationships, and life are still broken. They are broken because of sin, but God still wants us to work hard in and out of different seasons so we can grow to be more like Jesus. There will always be pain, sin, and trials (read James 1) until Jesus returns, but thankfully we have an opportunity to find God’s purpose, wisdom, and mature through whatever season we are in There is also always something to be thankful for, even in the darkest seasons. Ask God to show you how you can be thankful.
During my 20’s and 30’s, I was in a long season of planting and sowing as I learned how to be married and communicate in a way that was encouraging rather than discouraging. I had to learn how to raise 5 kids, including 3 boys that I loved but had no idea how to train up, staying up all night, caring for them in sickness, helping with schoolwork, listening to and comforting their sadness, rejoicing in their success, and non-stop cooking and cleaning. I navigated my husband travelling a lot so he could provide for all of us. I was a young pastor’s wife that was trying to minister to others that were hurting, yet I had my own wounds to heal from. I felt like I was drowning at times and nobody was there to throw me a life raft. It was a time of being surrounded by people but feeling lonely in my struggles. I couldn’t just tap out and fail everyone, which is when God called me to Him through prayer and unburdening His Word and time with Him in those desperate moments equipped me to continue to plant and sow. I never would have dreamt what the harvest would look like today! As Galatians 6:9 says, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” We all want the harvest, but we need to be willing to do the work of planting and sowing with the Lord.
This is what harvest looks like for me now, THANK YOU JESUS! The fruit of many hard years of work in my family and ministry have led to my relationship with Jesus being vital to me, my marriage thriving, my kids all loving and serving Jesus, my adorable grandkids being full of fun and joy, my church family showing kindness and honor, my health (though aging isn’t fun) doing well, and my heart staying full to love and serve the people God calls me to. There are still challenges every day, but I wake up with a deep gratitude for all that God has done for me, in me, and through me.
For those of you that are in a planting and sowing season…keep going and don’t give up! For those that are in a harvest season rejoice, praise God, and encourage others!
As Christians, if we want to be more like Jesus, we can follow His example of how to walk through seasons of life as He had to live, die, heal, build, cry, laugh, grieve, gather, search, mend,
speak, be quiet, love, and bring peace while He was living in the same world we do. His life was “hebel” for a short 30+ years “under the sun” but He lived it as a perfect example. How? He trusted His Father and gave thanks in every season of life! He trusted God’s power, justice, sovereignty, love, plan, and was thankful for God’s gifts
As Believers, we are linked to Heaven, which is perfect and beyond our best dreams and desires. We will never find full satisfaction in this life…only in our Creator! Verse 11 in the same chapter says:
“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end ”
Solomon then urges us to enjoy the fruits of our labor because they are gifts from God. We long for eternity in our hearts, and though we can’t see the end that God has for us yet, we walk in faith that everything will be made beautiful…even the most difficult experiences of life.
For those of you that are in a planting and sowing season… keep going and don’t give up! For those that are in a harvest season… rejoice, praise God, and encourage others!
Jesus asked if the cup of suffering (death on the cross and separation from the Father) could be taken from Him, but it couldn’t so He went to the cross for us. As children of God, we share in God’s glory, but we also must share in His suffering (Rom 8:17).
As Solomon says, life goes quickly, but it has purpose. God has chosen to use us to accomplish His purposes in every season of life from birth to death We won’t always understand, but are we willing to accept His offer? If you are in a season of grief or crying, can you ask Him and trust Him to walk you to the place of dancing (healing) and laughing? I promise He wants to take you there! If you are in a season of searching or tearing down, can you ask Him and trust Him to reveal Himself so you can build up again? He loves to show up and help us do His will! If you are in a season of war or turning away, can you ask Him and trust Him to bring peace and direction? The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of all wisdom and He brings the fruit of peace and love.
I encourage you to spend time in prayer thanking our God for all He has done and is doing in your life Then look at the season you are in and ask Him to guide you through it with godly responses We can’t do life without Him, and thankfully He wants to be in it with us no matter what season we are in. God will get us through this season and every season after if we are connected to Him like Jesus was. I never would have imagined how God would use all the pain in my life and so many that I’ve been honored to do life alongside…He proves Him
What type of season are you in?
Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you through it. We can’t do life without Him!
We asked some of our leaders what was one thing they learned from a difficult season and these were their answers:
The thing I have learned from a difficult season is to worship and praise in the midst of the storm. It’s so easy to complain or beg God to change the circumstances. But when you stop and praise God, then look for the blessings it’s easy to see He hasn’t left you. We have so many blessings that we take for granted, our God is so very good In a difficult season blast the worship music, make a list of things you are thankful for, and praise God!
��Maggie S
We put together a Summer Playlist for you. Scan the QR code to check it out!
In each difficult season I’ve experienced there are two things that always happen
The first, God always shows up. I am never in the fight alone. My Lord is faithfully with me every step of the way, guiding my steps and pouring out supernatural resilience through his Holy Spirit.
The second, when I keep my focus on Jesus, God’s blessings are easy to spot, His spirit of peace is undeniable and joy can be found in the most unlikely of circumstances
Difficult seasons are sometimes exactly what we need to fall back on our knees. God does not waste them.
�� Angie
L
We’d love to hear from you! What is one thing you’ve learned from a difficult season?
BOOKSPOTLIGHT
Some of our Leaders are going through “Fervent” by Priscilla Shirer for the remainder of 2024, and it has both encouraged and gently convicted us of how to truly pray in faith that God is listening and answers! She focuses on why we pray and how prayer changes us. We encourage you to read your Bible and grab a book in an area you want to grow in and gain deeper understanding for the rest of this year!
Check out the categories on the Resource page (scan the QR code below)
Scan the QR code for additional resources
THEGOSPEL
In a world filled with bad news, it is so refreshing to get some good news There's a special word in the Bible that means "good news,” and that word is Gospel. It’s simple to do, yet deep and humbling to receive and live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ! God created us to be part of His family, but when sin entered the world through our first parents, Adam and Eve, it separated us from Him. Because God is holy and perfect, the only way to bring us back into His family was to send His son Jesus to live a perfect, sinless life and to die on the cross for our sins and resurrect (defeat death). It was the greatest act of love and grace possible…our sin for Jesus’ life! That’s how much He loves us, but it requires us to believe this Gospel truth and trust in Him as we answer God’s prompting to be in a relationship with Him. If you don’t know Jesus, He already knows you, so you can start talking to Him through prayer
Tell Him about the burdens you carry, the sins you feel ashamed about, the pain you want to heal from, and that you want to surrender these things to have Him be your perfect Heavenly Father Tell Him you believe He is God, that He sent Jesus to rescue you, and that you want to be in a relationship with Him. Listen to Him as you pray and read His words to you (Bible). If you need a Bible, let us know via email so we can give you a Bible. We’d love to celebrate you as a new sister in Christ! Keep praying, read the Bible, and join us at church so you can get to know other Christians who are learning along with you.
THANK YOU
Thank you for making the Spring 2024 semester amazing! We’re looking forward to what the Lord has for us this Fall!
If the Lord has answered any of your prayers, as you read earlier, we’d love to hear about it! You can email us at realwomen@trinitychurch.com, and we will keep it anonymous if we use it in a Real Connection Newsletter. Thank you!
I don’t memorize things easily, but I’ve noticed that memorizing scripture is so much easier when I ask the Holy Spirit to help me and I actually put the verses into practice!
This verse has literally pushed me to keep going in the hardest seasons of my life, because God’s Word is true! When I’ve wanted to give up doing what is right and forge ahead in the flesh, I remember that doesn’t bring a godly harvest. When I wait on the Lord and continue doing what is right, I’ve witnessed His incredible blessing. He truly brings beauty from the ashes! Let this verse encourage and reinforce walking in His will.
Love, Grace
MEMORY VERSE:
“SO LET’S NOT GET TIRED OF DOING WHAT IS GOOD. AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME WE WILL REAP A HARVEST OF BLESSING IF WE DON’T GIVE UP.”
GALATIANS
6:9