I love the music of my teenage years… well, all except some of the REALLY bad disco, but I like some of the disco. Come on, who doesn’t love Gloria Gaynor? I belted out “I WILL Survive” in my mirror, because “as long as I know how to love, I know I’ll stay alive” and what 15 year doesn’t know all about love and survival? But let me focus on the point of this post because YES, there is a point.
Recently we spent some time on the lake and I got some incredible photos of a sunsets.. well, actually two sunsets. Gorgeous, incredible, breathtaking sunsets
I loved these sunsets. I thanked the Lord for allowing me to see such beauty and capture them on film.
As I look over these pictures, I think about endings, about the close of the day and the twilight of seasons of life. I’m in that place right now. As of June 1st I’m no longer the director of a non-profit. I resigned. It was time.
I miss it already… and it’s only been 5 days. But it was time. The sun had set on that season of my life.
A new day cannot dawn until the old one is gone. God has me in this place of a new day…. and I have to walk through the sunset first.
These amazing, breathtaking sunsets. I think about the closing of this chapter of my life. A chapter that began over eight years ago. A chapter that has changed me forever – changed the way I look at families in need and specifically children in need.
Here I stand…waiting for the dawn and knowing it will come in God’ time.
Oh, and back to the song…. in the words of Elton John…..
Don’t let the Sun Go Down on Me……
Although I search myself, it's always someone else I see
I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free
But losing everything is like the sun going down on me
I’ll be honest with you, I have NO IDEA what those last two lines mean…. and I didn’t even know the actual words of those two lines until I looked them up for this post.
I don’t want to see someone else when I search for me…. I want to be the person God has called me to be. I don’t want to stay so long in one place that the sun sets on my head. I don’t want to miss the daybreak of the new thing God is working out.
How about you? Are you in a sunset period or a dawning season? Or maybe you’re in a midday sun time. I would love to hear where you are these days.
And if you can tell me in song lyrics… that just makes my heart sing.
Mary, my friend,
I just love your real-ness. Love it. I am in both places at the same time. Strange, huh? Oh well, strange in my middle name.
In November I resigned as Women’s Ministry Director at our church. Did not really want to. The Lord TOLD me to. I have just felt lost and useless and out of the loop and all sorts of things. Definite sunset with some clouds involved. However, I know that I know that it was the right thing to do. Know it.
The dawning period has to do with my writing of the Legacy Bible study. I sense a really fun new day is dawning as we draw closer to publication in the fall. It is obvious to me that the Lord desires this study to be published and so I just wait to see what He will do with it. Eager anticipation of this dawning!! My song for this would be “I’m So Excited”. Can’t remember who sang it, though. “I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it.”
In fact, I’m offering a few excerpts from the Legacy study over at The Point over the next few months.
Thanks for keeping it real, my friend. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.
Seasons. Interesting to me that the Lord gave us seasons in nature that so beautifully describe the seasons in our lives. I’m especially glad that, during the rough seasons of life, we can look to the ones in nature and see the unique beauty He gave each one…sort of a hope to look for in our lives.
Where am I? I think you know. Here are some lyrics from Britt Nicole’s “Walk on the Water”…maybe you can relate? :o)
So what are you waiting for
What do you have to lose
Your insecurities
They try to hold to you
But you know you’re made for more
So don’t be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes
And you can walk on the water too
Love you friend,
M
I’m definitely in a dawning period. I recently struggled through about a year of feeling distance from the Lord. I just couldn’t seem to find Him, to feel His presence like I had before. At the end of my third pregnancy, my husband felt the Lord calling us to move (again). I didn’t feel it. I really didn’t feel it. But I trusted the Lord’s calling on my husband, and we moved from Mississippi to Alabama. (My family lives in Texas, so now we’re even farther away.) Although I agreed to make the move, I was kicking and screaming inside. But now that we’re here and getting settled, I have found my way back to Jesus. My prayer times and Bible study are rich and deep once again, and I feel like I’ve truly meeting with the Lord. It’s like I’m seeing the sunrise for the first time in ages, and the sun is only getting higher and higher in the sky. There is so much promise for our new life.
So here’s the somewhat sun-related lyrics that popped into my head:
“So rise and shine; give God the glory glory. Rise and shine; give God the glory glory. Rise and shine and give God the glory glory, children of the Lord. The sun came out and dried up the landy landy…etc.” Sorry it’s not disco. 🙂
You post reminds me of Ecclesiastes 3 with Solomon’s a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, etc. It is just a natural cycle of life that God intended for us. I’m proud of you for realizing that cycle AND where you need to be in that cycle. Good job!!
Love this post.
Two songs come to mind…
First.
She’s a maniac, maniac on the floor
And she’s dancing like she’s never danced before
She’s a maniac, maniac on the floor
And she’s dancing like she’s never danced before
This is how I have felt for the last few weeks, but if I take time to slow down and think about the Lord and what really matters in this life, this song comes to mind…
“Praise His Name”
When you’re up against a wall
And your mountain seems so tall
And you realize that life’s not always fair
You can run away and hide
Let the old man decide
Or you can change your circumstances with a prayer
When everything falls apart
Praise his name
When you have a broken heart
Raise your hands and say
Lord, you’re all I need
You’re everything to me
And he’ll take the pain away
When you feel you’re all alone
Praise his name
And you feel all hope is gone
Raise your hands and say
Greater is he that is within me
And you can praise the hurt away
If you’ll just praise his name
Ohhh,
You can overcome
By the blood of the lamb
And by the word of your testimony
You’ll see the darkness go
As your faith begins to grow
You’re not alone, so how can you be lonely
Mary!
I know I was sent here TODAY to read this message—for I had me a conversation with the Father this morning…about such things…
I am standing—
at the waters edge—
the sun is gone—
the moon has shown—
as it drifts—
ti the place chosen by Him—
I know without a doubt—
there’s a new sun rising—
Just on the other side of today.
Honey–I’m not good with rhyming (can hardly spell it), but I know that where I stand today—this time last year—I would not have thought it–or imagined it.
What’s He up to in my life? Only He knows. One thing I have discovered—He’s not taking me on the path where I would feel most secure…nope. It will be on the road less familiar—one where I would be sure to cling tightly to HIM. All the way Home.
Sure could use a hug from you my sweet Alabama friend! Love you!