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Hi friend! It’s been a while since I’ve been in touch but life has been so busy!
I’ve experienced a lot of “start-overs” in my life. A few of the examples I gave in today’s Proverbs 31 devotion were “Watching children grow up. Navigating a divorce. Facing financial status changes. Starting a new job. Settling into an empty nest. Learning to live alone. Celebrating a milestone birthday. Selling a beloved home. Getting older. Starting over. Beginning again … and again. All of these shifts can wreak havoc on our emotions.”
What about you? I bet you have a list of “start-overs” yourself. But you know what I’ve learned?
Every season of life can be wonderful, even if it feels stressful or confusing, if we adopt the mindset of looking for the good rather than the bad, especially through periods of change, and trust God has things good in store.
This is a lesson God has taught me over the years, and I want to encourage you to do the same. When we’re in seasons that feel unfamiliar, we don’t know where we fit in anymore, we’re worried about all the unknowns and feel out of sorts, or we find ourselves pondering, “what do I do now that a chapter in my life just closed?”, this is the time to recognize that we don’t have to view our season as “starting over.”
Instead, we can view our new chapter as “beginning again.” We’re not starting this season with no experience under our belts because life has prepared us for it and God has brought us to it.
When we accept we’re in a new stage of life – knowing profound growth and change have already happened, believing deeply in ourselves, our capabilities and the plans God has for us, only then can we take that first step towards becoming the person we want to become or towards that place in life we know we want to be. As well as living the abundant life God promises. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Abundant life refers to life in its abounding fullness of joy and strength for spirit, soul and body, no matter what change is occurring in your life.
Regardless of what we’ve been through or what age we are, we can choose to embrace our new with open arms and a positive outlook. We can look at change as the thing propelling us to reinvent ourselves and our lives, a place where we can begin again, rather than focusing on what we’ve lost or what has changed.
All of this is what compelled me to write my new book, God’s Got You: Embracing New Beginnings with Courage and Confidence, which releases July 2nd! I honestly can’t even believe how far God has brought me and the new beginnings I’ve been able to enjoy, and I can’t wait to share them with you in the hopes they encourage you to do the same!
With every preorder of God’s Got You in May, you’ll receive three great freebies: a digital Step Into Your New Beginnings workbook (which is a great tool to help you kickstart the beginning of your new chapter!), downloadable prayer cards to encourage you on those days when you’re feeling frustrated, and beautifully designed screen savers with motivational quotes to help keep you inspired. After your purchase, click here to claim your free gifts!
So what season are you facing today that feels different? What new beginning are you walking into? How do you feel adopting a new mindset could help you hold your head high and believing the best is yet to come, instead of dreading it? I’d love to hear from you in the comments of my blog!
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Tracie Miles is a bestselling author and the Director of COMPEL Training with Proverbs 31 Ministries. She helps women grow stronger in their faith, pursue the life of purpose God designed them for and live a life of peace, joy and happiness despite their circumstances.
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It’s 2:30am; I needed this thank you! Oldest daughter graduated college & is about to be engaged (thankfully a man who’s following Jesus too), 2nd & youngest daughter graduating high school. Aging parents. Discouraged with trying to start my Christian life coaching business (never done anything like this before!). Husbands job may be changing. Lots of mixed, sometimes overwhelming emotions! Struggling to really connect with God… Read “Get out of your head”, now reading “Untangle your emotions”, your book sounds good too….so many amazing writers out there, such as you all! Thank you!
I’ve been there Valerie! Happy for our kids and their new futures but often sad for ourselves and how life is changing so much. Keep working towards your coaching business goals and believe God gave you that dream for a reason! I think my new book could really give you some helpful steps to move forward! Thanks for your kind words!
Looking forward to that new book. I really need it now 😉 Big change with job loss and I really want to “wait” well. I want to take this time to truly rest in Him. Some days I feel like the sadness and hurt is overwhelming.
Praying for you, Becky, and for God to bring peace and joy into your life and your heart. Waiting for what God has in store is hard, especially when we’re hurting. Try to create a vision of who, how and what you want to be and accomplish in your new season and keep your eyes focused on that goal!
I was so excited to read your devotional this morning. My mother has dementia and lives alone. She often does not want our help. My husband and I have moved to live closer to her. It was difficult to leave friends and our church in the NC coast. We were blessed to live there and now live in a small town in the mountains. We have two children in the military. Our oldest just gave birth to our first grandchild and our other two are each getting married this year and next year. My parents divorced when I was 18 years old and with both parents remarrying and then divorcing, it seems like our family has been in constant turmoil. My father and brother have zero patience and issues with kindness.
I experienced two divorces due to infidelity and emotional/verbal abuse. I suffer from depression and anxiety. Finally, I let God take control and 5 years ago, I met my husband who is a kind, patient Christian man. We put God at the center of our marriage and he has been so supportive and loving during all of this family stress with my mother, father, and brother. I now have a stronger faith and relationship with Jesus.
However, I still get lonely for friends and I decided to start the process for volunteering in the public schools in our community. I started exercising again and spending time in prayer as well as reading the Bible each day.
Husband of 32 years has decided he wants a divorce after several years of serious marital turbulence with me realizing how I have allowed myself to be spoke to and treated, loss of both my parents, both kids graduated college and are successfully adulting. I now find myself having to “adult” in ways I was too afraid too before we got married (probably why I jumped into marriage with him to begin with). Your devotional resonated with me as I feel overwhelmed by all the loss and changes and feel paralyzed when I need to get myself on a path ready for independence (learn how to budget, manage/track my money, figure out living arrangements, etc). I have let fear keep me in a “child-like” mental state during our marriage, I see that now and I own that. Time for me to cling to God and take control of this life He has given me. I woke up this morning, so He has purpose for me. Please pray I push through the overwhelming fear of this alone life I am about to embark upon. God is with me, even if I am physically without a human partner (who truly wasn’t as reliable and emotionally dependable as I deserved). Thanks for letting me put this out “there” so now I feel a little more accountable to not be frozen in fear! 🙂
You can do this! I will be praying for you. There are so many resources out there on how to figure out your finances. One is Dave Ramsey. I know a lot of people don’t like him, but his system works. I did it and I know lots of people who did also. The main thing is to make a plan. God will open and shut the doors to send you in the right direction. God loves you. He will not leave you, ever!
Jen, I’m so sorry for what you’re going through. I so understand the pain of that experience. All of the fears can seem overwhelming but God will be with you every step of the way. I would encourage you to purchase my book Living Unbroken: Reclaiming Your Life and Your Heart After Divorce. I think it might encourage you, as well as Love Life Again and Unsinkable Faith. He does have purpose for you and purpose for the story He is writing in your life!
I could say ditto to your comment …I’m scared confused lost so many emotions I honestly don’t even know who I am…the why’s and hows just keep beating me up…my faith has been the 1 consistent thing over the years I just won’t give up and don’t you either! praying for you!
I read your blog and saw the title of your new book and thought, “ I Need that book”. Then saw it doesn’t come out until July 2nd!!! lol. My changes all started in December off last year. My husband lost his job, which didn’t really upset us too much as it was requiring him to be gone 3 weeks out of every month. We thought ok give him a few weeks off and then he can get another one,( he is a 68 year old truck driver). Then our grown son who has MS had the worst exacerbation of the 20 years he has battled this disease and after a week in the hospital and 3 weeks in, in-house rehab ended up in a wheel chair. PTL God had already prepared us for this and he had an electric wheel chair and a new scooter already bought. By the time things had evened out with him it was time for my husband’s yearly checkup. They found his PSA higher than 6 months previous. Long story short he was diagnosed with stage 4 aggressive prostate cancer. So we are now traveling 5 hours a day for 15 minute radiation treatments. We will be doing that for 6 more weeks. He will be on the hormone repressive therapy for 2 years at least. So we are not sure when or if he will be going back to work. Our monthly income has grown from $7000 a month to $3000. But God has been so good to us. We have gotten money donated to us from so many people. It has sustained us. But now once we get through this Emergency season I have no idea what our life will look like. I am a planner and so many unknowns are scary to me. I can handle things when I know what to expect but when it is all a mystery to me (I know God knows and already has it planned but
I love him and know he see’s us and has us written on the palm of his hand. But anyway I NEED that book NOW’ haha. But I am sure when I really will need it is when it comes out. My husband’s radiation finishes up July 2nd. God always knows.
Wow Rita, that is a lot of heavy burdens to bear right now! I’m so sorry for all the problems you are having to manage and carry. I will keep you, your son and your husband in my prayers. It is hard to trust God with the future, especially for those of us who are planners and organizers, but I’m so glad He is already giving you little glimpses of His provision. You sound like an amazing woman and God is going to continue giving you strength when you are at your weakest.
I resonated with your words “we don’t know where we fit in anymore, we’re worried about all the unknowns and feel out of sorts…”, in the past two years both my husband and I have lost our parents, our grown up children have graduated college, and are living at home as they figure out next steps, church has been in turmoil and change. And, I don’t know where I fit in anymore, and there is so much unknown – and this has led me to hide away. I know the healthy thing is to share and let people in, but fear and anxiety push me to hide away. I’m trying to take steps to meet with safe people, to open up, and embrace this new season of life with confidence, instead of fear and anxiety
Melanie, that is a lot of recent change! All of our stories are different but the emotions are the same, so I understand! Im so sorry for the loss of your parents as well. I might suggest you check out my Love Life Again book. That whole book was birthed out of me walking through a journey where I wanted to hide away as well, but knew I had to live my life since we only get one! Praying for you!
Just prayed for you, Rita! 🙏❤️
Wow! This message couldn’t have come at a better time. I can relate to Becky comment about loss of job. I also can relate to everyone’s comments of facing the unknown. Please pray for me that I find a job that I really enjoy doing & more than enough to pay my bills. I lost my job awhile back but God has been so good to me, providing all my needs. I thank you Tracie for this article & look forward to reading your upcoming book. God Bless you all & as I continue to remind myself daily that God’s Got Us! 🙏🏾
I will be praying for you, Wanda, and for God to open up the perfect doors for employment! It’s always a faith booster when we witness God’s miraculous provision and I feel confident He will continue meeting your needs and hearing your prayers!
This could not come at a better time. Friday will be there years since my husband of 45 years went to Heaven. Right before that my granddaughter had a non cancerous brain tumor, my youngest daughter had breast cancer. And I moved in with my daughter and then we moved to a new city and state.
God has been good, but it still has been a hard season.
Donna
My goodness Donna, you have definitely had an unfair share of heartache the last few years! My heart goes out to you. I’m so glad God has shown you His goodness through such horrific experiences and I will keep you in my prayers for Him to bless your immensely and carry you through.
Thanks for this encouragement. My husband of 30 years passed away two weeks and will be laid to rest next week. I am so devasted and in denial. I am also having issues at work and really been searching for answers in all areas of my life. I humbly ask that you keep me in your prayers.
My heart and prayers go up for all of you who have shared. God bless us all as we navigate the scary parts of life we walk through. May you all find peace and joy and see the blessings through the journey. God bless us all! 💜
I am 65 years old, diagnosed with a serious illness. I feel I have no real purpose in life. I know my purpose is to share Jesus and what he did and will do for us, but I have no idea how to do that in a way that I feel purpose. I pray every day for God to show me how I can honor Him in a way that gives me a sense of joy. Instead I keep thinking of the time I’ve lost, and that due to my age and illness, my time is running out. I am a very crafty person. It gives me joy, but I don’t know if, or how to share that to bring others joy and peace that Jesus can give. It’s so depressing to not know where I’m supposed to be