CityLine Women — Volume 18
Balance in Renewal
With temperatures falling and days growing shorter, there’s no denying that autumn is in full swing.
As we settle into fall, I’ve taken some time to process and reflect with the Lord. In the last few days, I’ve been experiencing a pressing and shifting from the Lord of seasons changing. As I was lying in bed, overcome with a sense of sadness, I whispered, “Lord, I miss you.” Not that I don’t spend intentional time with Him each day, but I just missed when our relationship was just He and I. When my time with Him wasn’t always filled with concerns for His bride or the requests and burdens of His people that I carry to His throne of grace day after day. When my time in His Word wasn’t directed by a study I was going through with my community group, but was from a hunger of just wanting to know who He was. I missed the early days of our relationship where it was He and I in the hospital room, as I watched my mom’s sleep turn into His Spirit comforting me through the grieving process of her passing away.
This prompted me to reflect on how I felt last fall, at a time in my life when I was about to enter a season of spiritual winter. I decided to fully embrace it as a time of intimacy with Jesus and an opportunity to continue to ensure my roots are nourished and firmly rooted in the firm foundation of His Spirit and Truth. I had to take a step back from a lot of relationships, events and activity, so I could just be with and rest in Him and to truly see what and who was from Him.
According to renowned author and motivational speaker Stephen Covey, there are four dimensions of renewal we must tend and care to. He explains, “It’s renewing the four dimensions of your nature – physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional.” Referring to the final habit from his iconic 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey explains, “ ‘Sharpen the saw’ basically means expressing all four motivations. It means exercising all four dimensions of our nature, regularly and consistently in wise and balanced ways.” I learned that this habit makes all the other habits possible, and if our dimensions of nature are out of balance, it will impact us in all areas of our life.
Through my spiritual winter, I decided to focus on this strategy of balance in renewal. I knew if I only focused on one dimension during winter, it wouldn’t provide any growth in the springtime. Instead, it will provide shallow roots, which will ultimately be unhealthy. It was my desire to draw upon the pure water of the Spirit, restore through movement and rest, reflect through journaling and have deep conversations with loved ones to sustain myself until springtime arrives.
More than a year later, I see the fruitfulness of having spiritual seasons to allow the Lord to prune, water and grow us to be used for His glory and Kingdom and the importance of digging deep with a community who loves you with Jesus’ love flowing through them. Through the season of winter, I reflected on the Psalms and there were two that the Lord kept using to minister to my heart and soul: Psalm 1 and Psalm 23.
1 Blessed is the man[a] who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law[b] of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.[a] 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness[b] for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the LORD forever.[g]
May the Lord restore our souls that we may be women who are planted and yield fruit in its season.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We praise and thank you today for being steadfast in an ever-changing world, an anchor in the shifting and sometimes stormy waters of our lives. As we enter this new season, perhaps on multiple levels, we ask that you renew our spirits. Be the light on our paths. Show us when to stop and rest, and when to forge ahead with courage. Guide our steps in the way of righteousness and give us peace as we face whatever lies before us. Above all, deepen our faith, that we may be firmly rooted in your truth and fed by the living water of the Spirit. We love you and praise you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Samantha Hackl
About the Writer
As director of administration and human resources, Samantha Hackl is the behind-the-scenes engine here at CityLine. Her heart beats for building deep, genuine relationships with women of all ages and stages. She is not only the Executive Assistant for our church, but she wears many other hats: she is a Community Group leader, she is part of our Community Care ministry, and she also has a passion for stewardship, leadership, and prayer. If you need a friend that just “gets you” in the first five minutes of meeting you, Samantha is your girl. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to her if you have any questions about our church or just need a shoulder to lean on. Her heart’s delight is connecting with God and His people!
Serving Opportunities
As CityLine Women, it’s important to us not only to grow personally in our walks with God, but also to be the hands and feet of Jesus outside of our local, church community. Here are three serving opportunities you can take advantage of:
- AWANA is a volunteer-run program for children starting at age 3 all the way up through 5th grade. Club meets at 6:30-8 p.m. on Wednesdays and is made possible by dedicated and faithful leaders like you! This is a perfect opportunity to serve families within CityLine and the surrounding community.
- Rose of Sharon
- SPA Women’s Ministry Homes
If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Frances Jimenez.
Studies
Revelation: All Things New 10/24
Community Groups
Join a Women’s Community Group today and be part of Bible study, fellowship, accountability, and fun!
Ministry Needs
If you have the heart to serve women and are interested in joining our women’s ministry events/hospitality team, we would love to connect with you.
If you have a gift in the fine arts (painting, spoken word, dance, writing, etc.), we would love to hear from you.