How to Flourish in All Seasons of Life
SEASONS OF LIFE
In each season of our lives there is a divine purpose. For two decades, Grace was single and struggled to understand why God had not answered her prayer for a Christian husband. She finally experienced the fulfillment of His promises when He brought Phil into her life after twenty years of waiting. Grace says, “He hears your prayers and knows your heart’s desires. Even when it seems like nothing is happening and nothing is changing in the situation, God is still at work.” Some seasons may be more enjoyable than other seasons, “But I believe you can flourish in whatever season you’re currently in. You can live your life and walk in your purpose,” shares Grace.
FALL SEASON
This season is a time of release – a necessary season of letting go of offenses, unhealthy relationships, hurts, bad habits, toxic friendships, pride, unforgiveness and other heart issues before we can ever move on to the next season. Just as God provides for the trees and protects them, He is able to do the same for you. In order to grow deep roots we must make the decision to forgive ourselves and others.
Grace’s family escaped the rule of Idi Amin in Uganda and fled to Duluth, Minnesota, in 1976. The pastor of their first church in Minnesota asked her family to leave because the congregation was uncomfortable with a black family worshipping with them. Their car tires were slashed and a brick was thrown through their living room window because people did not want them in their neighborhood.
In elementary school Grace remembers going to the mall for the first time. A boy kept starring at her. He pointed at her and asked his mom, “Mommy, why is her skin so dirty? Didn’t she take a bath?” When Grace got home, she was determined to wash the “dirt” from her skin. It would be years before Grace realized her true identity, beauty, and value. The names she was called in middle and high school required a lot of releasing and letting go. She found her identity in the pages of the Bible, “I am a child of God.”
WINTER SEASON
Unexpected challenges and unknown futures describe the winter season. Lessons learned in the storms of this time in our lives are deep and full of growth to shape us and make us stronger. Grace’s struggle for two decades was waiting on God to bring the right man into her life to marry. During her single years, she traveled the world, earned her master’s degree, bought her own home, and ran several marathons. She was intentional about living life to the fullest despite her extended waiting period for a spouse. One of the ways she was able to do this was by focusing on others around her instead of herself. For example, on Valentine’s Day she would send gift cards to couples or offer babysitting for free so parents could have a date night. It kept her from isolating herself and sinking into a cave of depression.
For years, she asked the Lord why He was having her wait so long. She never got an answer. Some people only waited two years to get married, yet she waited twenty. After she married, God finally answered and asked, “Grace, would you rather have a faith that is two years deep or two decades deep?” Grace shares, “The winter season had cultivated a level of faith and developed spiritual roots that no other season could have done. Although it was painful, the faith, wisdom, and spiritual maturity I developed over twenty years could not have happened in two years.
SPRING SEASON
Be open to new experiences, people, ideas and perspective even when stepping out into the unknown is uncomfortable. Grace met Phil when she felt ready to give up. One of the obstacles she faced as a single person was that she was a minister. It became a deal breaker to some guys before they even got to know her. Although she felt called to ministry, she did not want to remain single. She decided to take matters into her own hands.
Grace’s new plan was to take real estate classes to become an investor while still doing ministry behind the scenes just not from a public platform. She would use the money she made from real estate investing to fund ministries and churches. She thought it was a solid plan. At the same time, she attended Bob Goff’s first Dream Big Workshop. On the second day of the seminar, he said, “Grace, you have something to say, and people need to hear your voice.” He also invited her to speak with him at an event he was keynoting the following week. She had been ready to walk away from her purpose because she felt it must have been keeping her from finding love.
Four months later, she met Phil. He came to work with her church. She says, “I would not have met him if I had run from my winter season, skipped the spring, and tried to enter summer by changing careers. Because I stayed planted in ministry and opened my mind to all that came in the spring season, I was right where I needed to be when God had our paths cross.”
SUMMER SEASON
The summer season is a time when everything is flourishing. We experience a deeper level of faith and spiritual muscles which develop our character and perseverance. When Grace shared her story with Phil, he encouraged her to write a book about her life experiences. He also suggested she attend the upcoming SheSpeaks conference which trains writers, speakers, and leaders to communicate their God given messages. Phil was the chairman of the board for the organization that put on the conference. At the conference, Grace had an interview with a literary agent. Prior to the meeting, she asked Phil to pray for her. Later that night they went to dinner to celebrate Phil’s birthday and talked for three hours. When she returned to her hotel Grace asked the Lord, “Is this who you have for me?” She felt the Lord whispered in her heart, “He is My gift to you.”
Phil was a widow with two daughters. He and Grace dated for eight months and married six years ago before her forty third birthday. She is thankful for God’s faithfulness despite the long winter season she endured. Grace says, “Phil is my greatest gift. We are loving life, walking in our purpose, and serving God together.” They have been married for six years. Together they lead focus412, an organizational leadership and coaching ministry that helps churches grow. Through this ministry, they have worked with some of the largest and most influential churches across the country.
It is possible to be in two seasons at the same time. To be celebrating something in the summer and walking through a difficult situation in the winter. Grace and Phil recently celebrated the joy of a gender reveal party for their first grandchild. Four days later, Grace’s mom was in the hospital having suffered from a medical emergency.
To purchase your copy of Grace Wabuke Klein's book, Flourish, and to know more about Grace, please visit her websites: www.GratitudewithGrace.com and www.GraceWabukeKlein.com.
