Silent Seasons

Have you ever felt like you’re in a space to receive everything you've been waiting for, and then ABSOLUTELY NOTHING happens? As though you’ve mentally prepared for that breakthrough, but instead you have a breakdown? Or maybe you have your whole life figured out, then your plans made a whole 180 ... MAYBE, just maybe, you’re in a silent season. I read the book Silent Seasons: Trusting God When You Don't Understand by Heather Lindsey, last year. It made me realize just how important it is to pay attention to yourself in your current season. So many of us get caught up in the what’s next, that we miss the lesson that this current season is trying to teach us. Oftentimes we try to rush God because we think He might need some help (to deliver to us what WE want). I’m sure you’ve had that moment where you’re like “okay, this has to be it! Right God? Ok cool, I’ll do it”. Then we jump right in, all while praying with our fingers crossed behind our backs, hoping that we made the right choice. Then, we have to search high and low for all the reasons to defend why we chose to do what we did. When ALL along, He NEVER told you to do it. The option might have been there, but God NEVER said to move and that's where discernment comes into play.

If you've never been in a silent season, you're in for a rude awakening honey. Have you ever heard the saying "move in silence"? It means what it says. Nobody but you, should know. A silent season doesn't mean sit and wait. That too is a common misconception. It means, move with intentionality. If you're in a silent season, you'll almost feel invisible. Especially if you're being hidden from the wrong relationships. Chile, you'll probably start to think you're Princess Fiona from Shrek. I've had my moments too 😂. But no seriously, if you're being hidden, it's more than likely because you're being prepared for a bigger blessing. Everyone doesn't need to know your every move. I'd rather move in silence, than to prematurely sabotage my blessing. I do believe that you should first take a step and give God something to bless (hence, OWN YOUR AUTHENTICIY), but that doesn't mean spill all your ideas with the world.

The unveiling at the end of silent season, is the ultimate aim. However, that shouldn't be your main focus, the journey should. If you get so focused on the destination, you'll never put in 100% of the work. You'll probably half-ass it until you see some results, then say "yup, I'm ready". Understand that what you put in, is what you get out. This is why some of us stop working out when we get slim thicc, but then we binge during COVID and now we're back to square one😏. Don't be so eager to let others know what you're working on. Patrice Washington taught me that you can't praise the outward appearance, and have no substance.

Full disclosure, this blog was birthed at approximately 1:00AM on a Tuesday morning on June 23rd. Does this blog site look like I have the best graphic artist in the world and web developer working on it? No? Do I care? Not really. However, I do care about the message, grammar and presentation. The ideas behind this blog were formulating for about two years now. My first blog was started in 2018 but I was too scared to fully launch, so I deleted it. Just last year, I wrote on my vision board "Get Serious, Build your Brand & Power The Future." Only one year and six months later, did I decide to step out on faith and actually do it. FAITH OVER FEAR. Overnight successes usually take months to years of groundwork. But no one sees the come up because of the SILENT SEASON.

Now, full disclosure, (just to give you some insight) I wrote this post on 07/03/20. It is 1:04AM on 07/09/20, and I just got finished watching a Jerry Flowers sermon (thanks to a dear friend of mine). When I say he scalped me! I mean, like all 24 millions strands of hair on my head vanished! 🤯As I was watching (Can You Please Hurry Up - Try Me Series Pt 2), he gave an analogy that BLEW MY MIND (go watch the sermon you'll understand why). *To be honest - I see sermons as my spirit feeders, they keep me grounded; I pray they do the same for you* He gave the example of planting flowers in his garden at his new house, because all his neighbors had flowers, he knew that they would beautify the yard AND of course, because of his last name. However, every time he planted them, they would die (listen, the spirit of the green thumb is not for me! God bless my stepmom for raising my flowers). He went to the store to get expert advice on what he was doing wrong. The store personnel told him, he was trying to plant flowers in October, when ideally they start preparing to bloom in March. He said "just because its warm doesn't mean the plants don't know what they should do in this season". Now, no shade, but if the plants can figure it out, sis, why can't you? I mean it damn near slapped me upside my head. I mean, you try to birth this thing, and it keeps dying. LET IT BE! IT'S NOT HARVEST SEASON. Go water your seeds, and add some fertilizer while you're at it! I literally hopped off my bed and grabbed my laptop to update this post. I'm giving this example to reiterate my point. You have to be able to discern the season you're in and ask God for guidance. Oh Oh! And be obedient when he says to move. It is imperative that you acknowledge your current season, so that you know whether or not you are "getting ready" or just "getting dressed". DO NOT COMPARE your flowers to others', because they may have planted their seeds in a completely different season, that made it ideal for their flowers to bloom.

Now, I honestly do believe that God moves in some crazy ways, because I wasn't expecting this to be a whole . entire . word. But now I'm here typing this to you. So love ... don’t rush the season you’re in because it doesn’t resemble the plan you put on paper (or your phone, or your vision board). Maybe it wasn’t your plan to devise to begin with. If you keep beating yourself up, you may never learn to appreciate what is currently happening in your life.

Enjoy your current season, plant your seeds, and get ready for when it's time to bloom.