Seasons - Guest Blog by Sarah MacKinney
You wouldn’t believe the amount of time I’ve spent staring at this tree this weekend. Because I love the wonder and beauty of fall; seeing it’s beauty causes me to reflect inwardly.
Staying in a college town this weekend has brought out all sorts of weird insecurities in me. Young, beautiful, athletic, talented college students every where we go. In coffee shops, movie theaters, the park, restaurants .... and I started to feel “frumpy”, aka ... old, out of style, insignificant and the irritating (but honest) list goes on. I even asked my husband if he was embarrassed to be seen with me, to which he grabbed my hand and held it tighter and said, “not a chance.”
This has caused me to reflect deeply inside of myself about why I felt this way. And it occurred to me, just like this tree goes through seasons; some produce beauty, some are bare, some are full and fruitful; much is the same with us. My season is no longer the hip, flawless, lively college student. My season is wife, mom, grandma, friend, employee, housekeeper, disciplinarian, ministry partner and chauffeur. It’s achy knees and wanting to go to bed early and the beginning of wrinkles. It’s talking about my grand baby and ever increasing gray hairs and accepting I’ll never have 6 pack abs. But it’s also this ...
It’s beautiful. It’s fun. It’s busy and joyful and full of adventure and wisdom. It’s seeking and pursuing truth, it’s deepening relationships and learning to be more like Jesus. It’s letting the petty things go and taking the high road. It’s accepting the fact that God has fearfully and wonderfully made me; and each of us. Different, quirky, tall, short, rich, poor, introverted, extroverted, stylish, frumpy, etc etc.
And that acceptance is how I’m challenging myself to live my life. What a disservice I do to myself when I try and live in someone else’s season. I’ll never be 21 again, I’ll never have flawless beauty. But I will resolve myself to be kind, accepting, joyful, patient and a lover of people and a lover of life. Thank you tree for helping me realize the intense beauty of my season. I’ll never get this season again. ❤️
Sarah is married to my husband's cousin's son, Dale. Together Dale and Sarah are children's pastors at First Assembly of God Church in Great Bend, Kansas. They have 5 kids, one son-in-law and a brand new, 3-week-old grandson that they're pretty crazy about.
