As I sat on the bus with my colleagues from Solid Rock, heading to Santo Domingo for a weekend staff retreat, my heart was stirred. The theme of the retreat was Unique Calling, taught by Hugo Reyes, Spanish Lead from Pine Hills Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Since we live and serve here in the Dominican Republic, the course was presented entirely in Spanish.
At first, I was nervous—“How will I learn when I don’t even know the language?” I thought. But the Lord gently reminded me: Nick, this is just another opportunity to come closer to Me. I pulled out my tablet, opened Google Translate, and followed along as best I could. Strangely enough, instead of being a distraction, the process made me more dependent on Him.
The Spirit has also added a couple more gifts to me—not surprising, since He called me into ministry in the summer of 2024. Each day it’s becoming easier to lean fully on the Lord. Christ has been whispering: “I am breaking you down to build you back up for something greater.” He tells me this often. Here, there are no distractions, no places to hide—only Him. It feels like heart surgery, from the moment I open my eyes until the moment I close them. Yet even in the breaking, it is good, because He is good.
That morning, as I looked out the bus window, praying and thanking God for the day, He spoke clearly:
“Nick, we have been through many seasons together.”
That word seasons began to stir deeply in my spirit. I turned it over in my heart as we drove to Santo Domingo. Seasons of joy and growth, seasons of loss and waiting, seasons of pruning and deepening. And yet, in every single one, He has been faithful.
God’s Created Seasons
Genesis 1:14 (ESV)
“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years.’”
The natural seasons remind us that God is in control and faithful. Just as summer always follows winter, His promises never fail. When life feels uncertain, we can trust that His order remains steady and His love unchanging.
A Time for Every Purpose
Ecclesiastes 3:1–2 (ESV)
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.”
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV)
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”
Acts 1:7 (ESV)
“He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.’”
Life has seasons of joy, sorrow, beginnings, and endings. Instead of resisting them, we can embrace them as part of God’s plan. I have walked through seasons I dearly miss and seasons I don’t miss at all. But through every season, the Holy Spirit has taught me to focus on the light shining through the darkness, to heal through the hard times, and to rest in God’s love.
Even in painful seasons, His promises are true and always come at the right time—His time. I’ve learned to be thankful not only for the joyful moments but even for the hurtful seasons, because they drew me closer to Him. To simply accept that He is Lord, and I am not.
Growing in His Seasons
Psalm 1:3 (ESV)
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
A tree doesn’t bear fruit all the time, but it grows steadily. Likewise, we may not always see fruit, but if we stay rooted in God’s Word, our season of fruitfulness will come. The pruning hurts, but it is necessary. Old things must fall away so the new can grow in deeper intimacy with Christ.
Looking back at my seasons, I can see how He pruned me—cutting away my anger, my pride, careless words, and selfish ways. It isn’t easy to look in the mirror, repent, and ask forgiveness. But pruning removes what separates me from Him, bringing me back to His purpose.
Don’t Grow Weary
Galatians 6:9 (ESV)
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Waiting can feel exhausting, but God’s promise is sure. I’ve learned not to focus on “waiting on the Lord,” but instead to see how He is waiting on me. He waits with love, patience, and encouragement—His attention always on me. That is how I want to learn to wait on Him.
Discerning the Times
Matthew 16:3 (ESV)
“You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”
Jesus rebuked people for reading natural signs but missing spiritual ones. The same challenge applies to us today: to recognize what God is doing and respond with faith.
God Changes Seasons
Daniel 2:21 (ESV)
“He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings.”
God alone shifts the seasons—in history, in nations, and in our personal lives. He is sovereign over every change.
Everything Beautiful in Its Time
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV)
“He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
Even painful seasons will one day make sense. What looked like breaking was really building. What felt like loss was pruning. What seemed like silence was growth.
Now I see that every season has a purpose. God is weaving them all together as part of His plan for my calling. And as I sit in this season of surrender, I realize—it has always been Him.
Just as God reminded me, “We have been through many seasons together,” He wants to remind you: none of your seasons are wasted. Whether joy, waiting, hardship, or new beginnings—He is with you. Trust His timing, lean on His Word, and let Him shape you into who He has called you to be.
Prayer
Father, thank You for never leaving me, no matter the season. Thank You for the springtimes of new beginnings, the summers of growth, the falls of transition, and the winters of waiting. Teach me to embrace each season as Your gift, knowing You are always working for my good. Amen.
