embrace the beauty of this season

"You can't relive the past."

This phrase is usually connected with things we wish we could change or circumstances we wish we would have handled differently. But lately, it's taken on a new meaning for me. One that is almost harder to deal with at times.

There are some amazing, beautiful seasons of life that come and go. For me, spending five months in Africa is an experience I will never, ever forget. It was life changing. But if I allow my mind to stay in that season, I miss out on the beauty of this one. I miss out on the joy held within the precious moments that slip through my fingers like grains of sand. It's so easy to start comparing life as it is now to life as it has been in the past. To wish that things were different, or that I could go back.

I've come to realize that I can't relive the time I spent in Africa. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and things will never be the same. Honestly, it hard to accept that sometimes because those memories are so close to my heart. Their roots go deep. There is often a sweet sadness I experience as I see the pictures of those precious children or think of all the memories that are build within those months. A sweet sadness, knowing that that season is over, never to be relived again. But there is also a tingle of excitement mixed in, because I know that there are new adventures, new seasons, still to come. They won't be the same as Africa, but they will be beautiful in their own special way. I don't want to miss out on them because I'm too busy dwelling on the past.

I'm sure that you also have seasons of life you wish you could relive. Maybe it was time spent overseas. Or maybe it was a vacation you took. Or maybe you've recently moved and you miss the place you left behind. Change is inevitable in this life - you can't avoid it no matter how hard you try. In this time of change, I'm learning that there is great power in thankfulness. God took me on that adventure for a reason, and so I choose to be thankful for that time. I choose to be thankful for the lessons learned and the memories made. It's not an easy choice, but it's necessary in order to move on and face each new season with eager expectation. Being thankful allows me to cherish the memories and yet not hold onto them so tightly that I forget that God is doing a new thing in my life at this very moment. Something bigger than I see - something beautiful.