I am currently still in Wales at my friend’s house. I decided to stay here a week longer than originally scheduled. My whole itinerary has changed since last week. Having been somewhat surprised by a physical challenge from the first part of our trip (Flu, cold, and persistent cough), I was having a hard time keeping up the fast, rather exhausting pace we had been doing. Having to face the challenge of acknowledging my age and limitations, I have decided to cut the trip short and rearrange the remaining time.

On the way down from Ireland on the train, I read a post on Facebook that really spoke to me. The author shared about the life of an eagle, which I probably read years before, but the reminder was very timely for what I had and have been experiencing. Eagles can live a long time, but about forty years into their journey, they have to do one of two things. To extend their lives for another thirty years, they must go through a very difficult set of circumstances that takes up to 150 days to complete. They have to become very vulnerable while they go through a painful process of renewal. They start by knocking off their old beak, which has grown to the point of being difficult to catch their food and eat it. So they go up to an isolated place high up in the mountains and literally knock the old beak off on the rocks. When it starts to grow back, they use the new beak to break off their long talons that no longer serve them the way they did. The talons got so long that they could no longer catch prey or secure themselves on the tree branches. When the talons start to grow back, they then have to pull out all of the old, dense, heavy feathers, which were weighing them down. As the new feathers grew back, they were then ready to begin their life afresh. I was immediately reminded of one of my favorite scriptures from Isaiah 40:29-31. It gives fuller meaning to these verses. “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord (or wait upon the Lord) will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

The article called The Wisdom of the Process goes on to say, “Life demands seasons of change, from each of us. Sometimes those changes are easy and exciting, but often, the most crucial, growth-defining changes are painful, lonely, and uncomfortable…old habits must be broken… and this isn’t a one-time event. As long as we live, life will call us into new seasons where we must choose between stagnation and painful renewal… true transformation often requires – courage to confront what no longer serves you, faith to endure the discomfort of the unknown, patience to wait for the new things to form, resilience to rebuild yourself piece by piece.”

I have always tried to live my life as an overcomer. I have pushed through circumstances and situations because I knew that on the other side of those challenges, there was a place of victory. In this season of the seventies, I have faced health challenges that were not in my plans. Although God’s amazing grace has carried me through and sustained me with His peace and joy, I realize that resisting the reality of living life on this earth with limitations is not the wise thing to do.

I look at the longevity of some of my heroes of the faith, like Abraham and Moses and Caleb and Anna and Simeon, and want that history for myself. I have been saying for a number of years that I was a member of the 120 club! I want to live as long as possible on this earth so that I can make a difference and see what I have been believing for, for many years.

This trip has been part of that journey. Recognizing and embracing the season makes going through life’s circumstances a little easier. Limitations are not necessarily a bad thing, but a realization that as the seasons change, so does the assignment. I am with people a good bit younger than me (which I love), but cannot necessarily keep the same pace as them like I used to.

Yesterday, my friend took me over to spend the afternoon with three ladies from her church who are in my age range. These precious sisters in Christ are so full of the life of God, and our conversations were so encouraging and uplifting. I left there very aware that God continues to unfold His plans and desires to us, no matter what our age or season of life we may be in. These are women who know God and spend time together encouraging each other and praying together. Like Anna and Simeon, they wait and long for the next move of God, which is currently on the horizon. To hear an 88-year-old share her testimony and to see and hear the “fire” that is still in her heart for more thrills me and encourages me to continue pursuing revival and another Great Awakening.

My remaining time here in Wales, the land of historic revival, will be spent visiting some of the historic sites where revival has taken place in the past. Some of those revivals have impacted other individuals and nations to this day. Overall, these nations I have been visiting are still not living out the destiny that the Lord has planned and called them to, but there are pockets of people who are contending for a fresh move of God. I am grateful to be here to encourage them to continue praying and not grow weary in well-doing.

In conclusion, I am reading a little booklet called Hiddenness and Manifestation by Graham Cooke, which is speaking to me personally, but will bring further understanding to our journey. We all have seasons where God manifests Himself in such tangible ways that doubt and unbelief are not even a temptation. He comes to bless us, and we experience Him in profound ways. There are other times when God seems to “hide” Himself, where we don’t feel or sense His presence. If we know His word, we know that He is still with us and very aware of us, but we are not so aware of Him. Hiddenness is a time when we possess those things we experienced in a time of manifestation. It is a time of establishing those disciplines that will keep us steady all the days of our lives. Like the mature eagle that must take the time to be renewed, we must be willing to go through the process if we are to continue into the next season of our lives.

I am very grateful for this time personally to get a clearer perspective of the seasons of my own life, but I also want to encourage each one of you. No matter what season you are in, realize that your loving Heavenly Father is there with you, whether you sense Him or not. He “works all things together for our good.” In times of weakness, He can show Himself strong. In seasons of blessing, He sustains us to be a blessing to others.