PART 1 – Constantly changing seasons of identity
Just when you think things are settled and you are done with having to navigate big changes…..kaboom! Suddenly, you are thrust into a new season where everything feels different.
You can feel yourself both ‘changed’ and ‘changing’, on the inside. Your thinking evolves. You can see differently, understand differently. Even your likes and dislikes shift.
One of the common areas I coach people in, is to understand more about the season they are in and what it is all about. What is God doing? What character is being formed in them? What is it preparing them for? How ‘mature’ or ‘ready’ are they in their current season? Is it nearly over? Has it just started? How can they lean in and align with what God is doing in the season they are in? What key life messages are being formed in them? What is their assignment from heaven in the season they are in? What is the pace and rhythm of their season? Is it a short one or a long one?
Personally, being able to understand more deeply difficult seasons especially, but all seasons, has brought me incredible breakthrough. Being able to converse with God about painful seasons and understand what is being formed in me, has bought me much peace. Being able to work on understanding new levels of my identity and come into more and more maturity and confidence of my identity, is one of the joys I have experienced in both my ‘valley’ seasons and more jubilant ones.
The Bible promises us that we can experience joy in all seasons, and I can verify from personal experience that this is possible. Even in the most difficult times and even in the midst of loss and trauma, joy is possible. The place of that joy for me, was finding a new level of relationship with God, both as beloved child and trusted friend.
Jesus said: ‘I no longer call you servants, but friends and I tell you stuff’ (very paraphrased from John 15:15)
God is willing to give you answers and to tell you stuff! Many people that we coach do not have a clear understanding of where they are at in the timeline of their calling. They have not asked God questions about this. They may not have studied in what areas they are being prepared and in what areas they are being released. They are not fully aware of their incredible identity as a child of God, a masterpiece, a royal son/daughter. They may well know these identities, but don’t ‘feel’ them as a reality in their heart. Many are not fully activated into walking in these identities in total freedom.
(Many are unclear on their specific and personal calling also. That’s a whole other topic. Confusion about this is totally unnecessary. We can be clear on our calling. 2 Peter 1:10 clearly instructs us to ‘make our calling and election clear.’)
Back to the topic of identity and seasons……
The fact of the matter is that God is constantly honing our character and constantly moving us into more freedom through each and every season. In some seasons his work on our identity feels more intensive, in other seasons it is less obvious and intense. Coaching yourself through greater awareness of the particular ‘flavour’ and parameters of your current season AND the one you are being transitioned into, will help you immensely!
I’ve found that asking God the big questions about what He is doing in my season helps align me, and helps me to find joy and peace in the understanding He gives me.
This process grows us all to understand God’s timing and His ways more. You are His child, so He wants you to understand who He is and what He is doing. So, don’t be afraid of asking Him the big questions.
The Destiny Coaching Model includes coaching tools to give you a clear understanding of your current season in the journey towards reaching fulfilment of your calling. It’s based on biblically data of what this journey looks like amongst many of our biblical heroes.
The Destiny Coaching Model also provides a toolkit for you to gain clear understanding what your personal, specific calling is. Yes, everyone does have one!
PART 2 – Navigating the ‘mush’ seasons
God uses each and every season we go through. His desire is for us to ‘fly’, to be free and experience a joyful and abundant life. Remember when the caterpillar finishes it season as a caterpillar, it goes into a stupor. It becomes mush. It’s whole skeleton dissolves. Imagine how that feels, it is neither caterpillar nor butterfly.
Some of our seasons feel like this. We just feel like mush, like nothing. Fortunately, God does not allow these seasons to last long. In the caterpillar’s ‘mush’ season, in its DNA somewhere there is a ‘knowing’ that it is to become a butterfly. This knowing is what reforms the mush into a butterfly.
When the caterpillar ceases to be caterpillar and finally becomes a butterfly, he never sees anything the way he did before. His perspective completely changes from crawling along the ground to flying in the sky. Thoughts, perspectives, opinions and more are changed for ever.
We all go through this ‘mush’ process many times over throughout our lives. Each time it feels like we are being re-invented! It can feel like a reinvention of our very identity. It is in fact God bringing us in line with our true identity as His beloved children.
There are seasons when we feel like we literally lose our identity. It may be a loss of a job, a loved one, a home, a place, a particular group of people or our health.
Its ok to be mush for a while.
The trick is to find the DNA of your ‘butterfly’.
God planted it in you. He has a purpose for you, a plan, destined long ago. This is your butterfly DNA. No matter how in ‘mush’ and ‘identity-less’ you feel, the butterfly is in you.
Through these transitions, our community changes. Think again about the caterpillar. In the caterpillar’s season when it enters it’s stupor and becomes mush, before becoming a butterfly. In that in between season:
Does the former caterpillar hang out with his/her fellow caterpillar friends anymore? No.
Does the former caterpillar have any butterfly friends? – Not yet!
The answer is no in each case. There are seasons when you are being reformed and it may not feel right to be in relationship with certain friends anyone. You may be in between old and new relationships.
And everything in between.
Change is one thing we know for sure is here to stay. Navigating all the different seasons that change brings can be tricky if you don’t know what to expect.
Knowing what season, you are in is so helpful.
Remember the person who can help you find answers and bring you peace. Tune in to that person, God Himself, to get His wisdom on your season
Here are some powerful season coaching questions to ask God and ponder yourself, to help you understand the season you are in and know what to expect could be happening with your identity.
Am I in a season of ‘mush’ and reforming?
What am I leaving behind? What am I heading towards?
What is my new level?
What is the message of wisdom about God and His glory that is being formed in me?
What is the appropriate pace of my season? Activity or non-activity?
What community is appropriate for me in the season I am in?
What is God preparing in me? What is God raising me up for?
If you have not attended our Destiny Activator Program, check it out, its available as an online program and as a 2-day workshop. The program includes coaching you to understand your call, your readiness and how to understand and navigate your current season. Forthcoming programs
Thanks Tina, Good reminder to remember to ask God about the big questions of what season , the pace and what hes forming in us..even and especially when things feel so stretched and uncomfortable and a bit confusing!
Thanks Tina. This is so helpful as I’ve been feeling in the Inbetween/lost all over again phase BUT it’s just another mushy season. What really reasonated was when you said how perspectives change from the caterpillar on the ground to the butterfly in the air – beautiful! It was as though I was experiencing that very shift as I read those life-giving words. I’m definitely going to ask God those wise questions you’ve prompted us to ask.
Thanks for being such a blessing!