My mom said, "This is just a season. This too shall pass."

Whenever I feel completely overwhelmed by life, I call my mom.  I can always count on her to listen to me and help me work through my struggles.  My mom has told me on many occasions, "This too shall pass" . Another one she says comes to mind, "This is only a season"!  Both of those phrases I have learned to understand and appreciate.  As I am growing up and becoming a  "real adult", I am aware that everyday, every week, every year is a season.  Sometimes it is joyful, happy, sunny...sometimes the opposite.  Life has it's peaks and valleys, highs and lows, rain and sunshine.  I think it's interesting how God uses the weather to remind us that there is a time for everything!  Last week it was rain, mudslides and floods in southern CA.  This week it is clear skies and the bright warm sun! Isn't life so similar.

At 17 years old, all I could think about was getting a boyfriend!  I worked at a church camp and honestly one of the main reasons...was to meet a boy!  I met him alright! A year later..we were married at age 18!  Our first season together was living in the down south with red-necks and crocodiles!  We were young and eager to experience life together!  He was in the Navy school  and worked a ton of hours studying.  I worked at a gym nearby, as a Personal Trainer.  For our free time together... we played!  Volleyball...rollerblading... swimming...relaxing.  We even had our first hurricane there!  We hid in the closet with blankets, by candlelight ~with canned food and no electricity.  But Oh how I missed my family back in CA. I was so homesick for them. Bitter-sweet memories. 

My mom said, "This is just a season.  This too shall pass".

Then came New York!  Freezing cold.  Snow.  Storms.  Clouds. But how amazing the friends in New York were.  I met some of my bestest buddies there. At a time when I was most homesick.  God sent me a family of friends to encourage and befriend me!  And still to this very day...I keep in touch with them often. I remember walking the snowy paths in the college town we lived at.  We loved the bagel shops, coffee shops, reading books at Borders and  cross- country skiing.  We had long conversations and yummy food with some of the sweetest folks!  During a time of missing my family...God poured out his love in a very tangible way...friendships.  The weather was brutal.  The days were long.  9-11 happened while we lived there too.  My heart was lonely for family, but full of new adventures.

My mom said, "This is just a season.  This too shall pass."

Then off to the submarines he went.   Days, weeks and months my hubby was gone into the depths of the ocean.  No communication.  We couldn't talk on a phone, text or e-mail.  He was home for a few days...then gone for a while.  I remember feeling so lonely for him.  I missed him like crazy!  I thought Navy life was for the birds!  I wanted out!  I was done with the Navy owning us!  I was pregnant with our first baby and he was gone for most of it.  I held tight to God.  He was my strength when my husband was out to sea. Even though we were transferred back to a beautiful beach in southern CA, and I was closer home to my family...having my husband gone so much was very challenging.  Sometimes it felt impossible.  Many times I cried.  I was home with a new baby and when her daddy came home...she cried.  Her daddy was a stranger.

My mom said, "This is just a season.  This too shall pass."

And off to another state back east.  Another move.  Another way of life.  Now we were a family of three and another baby on the way!  Navy life was only two more years...and then we were finally done!  It was there that we found a loving church, friends and the joy/challenges of having kids.  It wasn't so simple.  We had a 2 year old and infant.  Life was no longer walks on the beach hand in hand.  It was hand on a stroller and hand holding a screaming baby!  Yep...the 2nd baby was not so easy!  He was a hand full!  So now I was overwhelmed by a toddler and unhappy baby boy.  I learned that going from one to two kids without any grandma's, grandpa's, sisters, aunts or  uncles to help was super hard!  I juggled trying to manage two kids and keep a job as a fitness instructor at the local YMCA was not so easy.  It was hard enough to make it out the door on time with matching shoes.

My mom said, "This is just a season.  This too shall pass."

And then we were done with the Navy!  Yippee!  A family of five now.  Back in CA!  New house.  And back home with my family and all my sisters and their kids.  Our salary was cut in half.  We used  WIC and med-i-cal.  We were on a $50 budget a week  for groceries, diapers and shampoo.  But we didn't care!  We were out of the Navy!  Money was tight.  But we didn't mind!  We were out of the Navy!!!! 

And now we are a family of six.  My husband has a great job.  My days consist of teaching a 5 year old to read, keeping a crawling baby away from harmful objects, listening to our oldest daughter figure out how to play piano, and teaching a four year old to stop whining.  Life isn't any easier.  The nest is full.  My hands are busy, my heart is much bigger.  I have no idea what the future holds.  But I do know one thing..

My mom said, "This is just a season.  This too shall pass." 

So wherever you are today, wether you are in the midst of a terrible tragedy, feeling overwhelmed, burdenedd, homesick or lonely... you won't be there long.

"This is just a season.  This too shall pass."