Seasons Come and Go

Time passes so quickly—seasons come and go before we even realize it.  Can you relate? Sometimes it feels like life is rushing by, and I find myself wondering where the years have gone.   In just a few days I’ll turn 43, and my daughter, now 17, is a senior in high school.  She’s growing into such a beautiful young lady who loves the Lord, and that fills my heart with joy.

As a mom, I’ve often beaten myself up—thinking I didn’t pray enough with my daughter, or read the Bible with her as often as I should.  I would replay all the “should haves” in my mind.  But now I see her seeking God for herself: wanting to pray, wanting to read His Word. And I realize, maybe I wasn’t doing as badly as I thought. It wasn’t just me—her grandma, papa, uncle, aunt, church family, youth leaders, and friends have all planted seeds along the way.  Seeds planted in one season can grow into fruit in another.

Maybe you’ve been praying for years and feel like nothing is happening.  Maybe you’re a parent who wonders if you’ve really made any difference.  But here’s the truth: you have.  Your prayers and efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, and the fruit will come—sometimes later than we expect, but always in God’s timing.

I’m reminded of Hannah in the Bible, who was deeply distressed and prayed earnestly for a child (1 Samuel 1:10–11).  She wept, she begged, she poured out her heart. And God heard her.   In time, He gave her a son, and she named him Samuel, meaning “God has heard me.”  What a beautiful reminder that even when we wait, God is listening.

Hannah’s story touches me deeply because it reminds me of my own.  Before I was pregnant with my daughter, I remember crying out to God and asking Him to give me a child.  I promised Him that if He did, I would raise that child to know Him, to read His Word, and to be in church.  I’ve tried my best to keep that promise.  And even though there were many moments when I felt like I failed, I see now that God has honored it.  In my imperfect, human efforts, He has still allowed fruit to grow in her life.  Today, she is serving Him—and that fills my heart with gratitude.

Do you believe that He sees you? That He hears you? That He cares for you? We all walk through hard seasons—whether it’s the shock of a diagnosis, the loss of a loved one, the struggles of a child, or the strain of a relationship.  No matter the hardship, it matters to God.  Nothing in your life is too small or too overwhelming for Him to notice.

The beautiful truth is this: seasons come and go, but God’s faithfulness never changes.  The prayers you pray, the love you pour out, the seeds you plant—they are not in vain.  Hold on, because the season will change, and fruit will come.