Seasons of Life: Finding Satisfaction in This Season

4 Ways to Discover Joy in All Seasons of Life

Oh, how the seasons of life ebb and flow. Want or plenty, defeat or victory, restlessness or contentment, pain or joy…we’ve all been there and back again! Even the Bible acknowledges this truth: “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens,” Ecclesiastes 3:1. I have often found myself looking forward to seasons to come or reflecting longingly on seasons past. I bet you already know this is a very dangerous place to be! Discontentment, anyone?

I am currently in a very busy season (can I get an AMEN?)! Three young kids (each in their own unique seasons), a very busy husband, and myself working in the home and from home, all create a wide range of responsibilities, joys, and stressors. There are many days of exhaustion in which I’m left desperately wishing for more or less of one thing or another. It’s imperative that we learn to find satisfaction in each and every season because this life waits for no one. The clock is ticking and the days are passing. There is joy to be found in the busiest, most boring, best, worst, happiest, and even saddest of seasons. Don’t miss it.

Seasons of life are temporary. 

This may be good news or bad news, depending on how you feel about your current season! There are times this realization brings me relief, and times it brings me grief. No matter how crazy my kids drive me, at the end of the day I know that time is fleeting, and I’ll never get these days back. This perspective is important to remember! Many seasons are simply means to an end. Acknowledging this will help you relish the wonderful seasons and endure the difficult.

Be grateful. 

Even on the darkest of days, there are things to be grateful for! The sun shining on your face on a warm day, an unexpected helping hand, a conversation with a special friend, the sound of a child’s giggles, loving arms wrapped around your neck, or the opportunity to help someone else are all examples of finding things to be grateful for in the midst of any given season. Gratefulness helps breed happiness (it’s science), so practicing intentional gratefulness will naturally boost satisfaction in this season. Write down what you’re grateful for every single day. This simple act will make a difference.

Seek wisdom.

No matter the season you’re in, God has a plan and purpose for your life. You can take that to the bank! Ask him to reveal himself to you during this season. What does he want you to learn? Who does he want you to become? He will give you wisdom and see you through if you’re seeking him. How? Open up the bible and grab a journal. Read, then write what stands out to you and how you can apply it to your life in this season.

Serve others.

Here’s another proven way to develop gratification: meet someone else’s need. Whether it’s an elderly neighbor who needs her leaves raked, a friend in need of a meal, or volunteering at the local food bank, serving others who are going through difficult seasons of life will help shift your focus toward the positive.