When I was growing up, I had this one youth leader in my church who always used to say to me, "It's just a season." Every. Single. Time. I would be dealing with so much, overwhelmed, disheartened, drained, and he would without fail go... "Sabrina, greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world. God fights your battles for you. Narrow is the path to righteousness, few find it."

He would carry on and on about seasons. Unbeknownst to me, I would endure difficult seasons for what would seem like forever. I couldn't help but wonder what the point was of any of these seasons.

What was the purpose? What was the gain? Because truthfully all I felt was loss. Seasons come and go. They do not last because what happens during the seasons does. I noticed that a season doesn't define you but it has the ability to shape you. Things I didn't learn in one season showed up in the next.

Leaves that don't fall in autumn do not survive the winter. Some things must die for new life to take place. Seasons aren't there to kill us or our faith. But rather strengthen us and build our character.

The transition from one season to another is vital. I've tried not to keep onto the pain of the last season but rather the perseverance it's taught me. Pain is sometimes the most familiar thing we have. It's comfortable and convenient, making it easy to carry and hard to shake.

You can't enter a season of victory while you're in the mindset of a season of struggle. The two can't coexist.

The storms of life will come, the seas will rise and roar. The ship will become unsteady and waves will surface the shore. But don't forget the things you learned when there were calm waters.

Every season is for pressing, learning, and growing. It is not an accident, anything we go through. Our hardships are never in vain. There are things that I would have sworn were meant to destroy me that God designed for my elevation. He is all intentional, he not only knows the seasons, but he created them.