In a year, there are four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. I’m sure everyone has their favorite season (or even favorite parts of every season) and least favorites of those seasons as well. For me, I love winter but I do love it when spring comes with all of the flowers, even if that means my allergies are in full force. In college, my small group leader asked our group about our favorite season, and then she connected our favorite season to our lives. She said that our lives are broken up by different seasons. Sometimes they’re your favorite, and other times, you’re holding on for dear life until the season ends. I have definitely found that idea to be true.
There are moments in my life where everything feels difficult, and I wonder if there is an end in sight. Other times, I never want things to change. In every season, we have to remember that there is an end date. I remember when I first got to Romania how terrifying everything was to me. Even a simple thing like going to the grocery store was intimidating because I did not recognize some of the food and the signage was in another language!
This was a really difficult season that I was in for most of my first month when I moved here. I lived off of rice, spaghetti, and some kind of meat sandwich (most of the time I couldn’t tell what meat it was so I hoped for the best). When I was in that season, I honestly thought that this would be my life in Romania. I thought I’d always be uncomfortable and unsure of my surroundings. But sure enough, I got braver. I learned some more of the language, and I even find myself with way more produce than I need at times.
Now I look back, and I can laugh at these times. These memories are special treasures to me. The lessons I learned from grocery shopping help me in other instances. If I am scared to try something new, I remind myself that that is how I grow. Of course, I still mess up frequently. Just last week, I almost picked up margarine instead of butter. That would have made for some interesting brownies!
Instead of beating myself up for my mistakes, I try to remind myself that the mistakes I make help me grow. If you’re too afraid to make mistakes, you won’t be able to grow.
What season do you find yourself in at the moment? What mistakes have you made that you treasure?