We are in the midst of a pandemic and so many of our lives have been turned upside down. Businesses are shut down, layoffs are happening left and right, church’s worship experiences are online only, grocery stores are packed, social gatherings of 10+ people are banned, and unfortunately people all across the globe are testing positive for (and some are dying from) the covid-19 virus.

No one could have predicted this would be our reality in 2020. Just a few months ago when it was still 2019, everyone was declaring seasons of abundance, love, prosperity, favor, and breakthrough for the upcoming new year. Never in my life have I heard someone declare a season of silence, pain, disruption, fear for themselves—but the reality of it is, these seasons will happen whether we want them or not. Life is cyclical, and unfortunately it’s not always rainbows and butterflies. There will be good and bad times, highs and lows, wins and losses, sunshine and rain.

However, in the midst of life’s seasons, your perspective and where you place your hope will determine how you will come out on the other side.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 says “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”

I love this scripture because it doesn’t say the trees won’t experience seasons of drought—it just says when those seasons of drought come, they won’t be worried by it! Why? Because those that place their hope and trust in the Lord—not their present circumstances or the things of this world—are blessed. What does that mean? They are able to experience joy in a season of pain, peace in a season of disruption, faith in a season of fear, provision in a season of scarcity, and strength in a season of weakness.

If this pandemic has shown us anything, it’s shown us that your hope and trust must be in something deeper and greater than the “things” of this world. Because as we can see the “things” of this world can get shut down or taken away in a blink of an eye. Why because those “things” are just resources, but many of us have unknowingly made these “things” our idols and our identity. God has and will always be the one true Source and He is not surprised or thrown off by these current events.

So instead of feeding your fears, worrying about “what if”, visualizing the worst case scenario, and over-consuming the news, I encourage you to cast every care and worry you have onto the Lord and redirect your attention on something else: seizing this season.

How exactly will you seize this season?

“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.” Ephesians 5:15-16 NLT

Confession time: When I started working remote a few weeks ago, I thought all of this virus chaos would be less hectic and under control by now so I figured this would be a season for me to “indulge”. And boy, I did. I was gobbling up Oreos thins almost every hour (they’re so addicting), pigging out on Doritos & hot sauce (don’t knock it until you try it), binging Netflix shows back to back (P.S. in my normal life, I RARELY watch TV), staying up until the wee hours of the night, slacking in meditating, and waking up 7 minutes before my daily conference call. I’m embarrassed to admit that ya girl was out of character and just LAZY. My self-discipline was out the window.

But when things started to worsen, I realized “Oh crap, this is going to be my reality for a bit longer than I expected.” I think we’ve all kind of realize that now: this pandemic won’t be solved in a week or two.

After accepting this reality I asked myself: “T, When you look back on this season, what is it that you want to say you did and accomplish? How do you want to seize this moment?”

The word “seize” means to take (an opportunity or initiative) eagerly and decisively. The words decisively and eagerly stand out to me.

Before you can seize something, you have to make a decision about what exactly you want to take. I encourage you to make a decision on how you will seize this season. What is the opportunity or initiative you’re going to take? Once you make a decision, you need to be eager about it. Don’t have a poor and complaining attitude. Happiness is a choice. We can’t let the chaos of this world control our mindset and attitudes. I know things are tough right now for everyone, but having a poor attitude will not make your circumstances change any quicker. Seasons come and go. When you look back on this period in your life, do you want it to be filled with joy, laughter, productivity, relaxation, and reasons to smile? Or do you want it to be filled with complaining, laziness, discontentment, worry, fear and excuses?

If you’re deciding this is the season to deepen your meditation and prayer life, do it with joy. If you’re deciding this is the season to be more attentive and engaging with your family, do it with a smile on your face. If you’re deciding to work on a passion project or side hustle, do it with gratitude. If you’re deciding this is the season for you to rest and recharge, then happily take it honey!

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-7 NLT

What is it time for you to finally do? How will you seize this moment? We are most definitely in a SEASON, so that means your present circumstances are TEMPORARY. Seasons don’t last forever. As the older folks would say “and this too shall pass”. One day things will pick back up and your entire life will be busy again. And I can guarantee you, you will almost wish you had time to do something.

I remember before this pandemic, I would sometimes struggle in managing my time. I used to come up with excuses as to why I couldn’t do something. And then when I had nothing but time on my hands, I was baffled at how I was spending it by being unproductive and lazy.

Truth of the matter is: the amount of time you have isn’t the issue. It’s your level of self-discipline, time management skills, and attitude—that’s the real issue.

Isn’t it crazy how we pray to God for more time and then when we have nothing but time on our hands we complain about having nothing to do or we grow lazy and do nothing?

When will we learn to be faithful and good stewards over the current season we’re in?

Life is but a vapor and humanity is frail. Your days were numbered from the time you came into this world, and you aren’t given a minute more of it.

I want to encourage you to seize this season, Queen. While I don’t know what “you” specifically are supposed to do (because I know it varies for every person), I do know that God is waiting for you to just say YES. Your time is NOW. Submit yourselves to this season, and stop trying to resist it.

Do not place your hope and trust in this world. Don’t meditate on the news and social media. Instead, get in the word of God, say affirmations for your mind and body, and set your focus on taking care of the things He’s entrusted you with. Please remain informed about what’s going on, but don’t over-consume for your own sanity’s sake. Chile, I remember at one point I kept reading every coronavirus update and talking about it frequently, and eventually I started psyching myself about having it if I sneezed! Smh. LOL.

What you focus on is what you magnify. The more you read, discuss or think about something, the bigger and more powerful it becomes in your mind. And if you keep it up, you will eventually attract those things into your life.

So in this season, I challenge you to focus on light over darkness, faith over fear, and God’s promises over problems. Follow the instructions from the CDC and your local government and seize this season, Queen. You got this.

Sincerely,
KING

P.S. If you are ready to seize this season, click here to join my virtual accountability group!