It is always a sweet blessing to introduce you to new writers each month. Today I welcome Tara Ulrich to this space to share her story. Tara and I have never met in person, but the connection we have runs deep through years of Five Minute Friday and just supporting each other in this online world. Tara writes at Praying on The Prairie. Show her some love over at her home and below in the comments.
The trees are covered in deep hues of red, orange and yellow. The leaves are shedding and falling to the ground. The crunch of the leaves echoes in my ear with each step I take. The changes of the season are all around us as summer morphs into Fall.
The truth is that sometimes life throws us unexpected change. During these times, we desperately want to trust that God knows what God is doing especially when we are unsure of ourselves.
In these changing days of a Fall, I find myself once again standing in liminal space; a season of change; that place between what was and what is to come. It is during these times of transition that I find myself clinging to God’s promise that God will never leave us or forsake us.
A few summers ago, I also found myself in a time of unexpected change. As part of my healing, I climbed to nearly the very top of Estes Cone in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. When I almost reached the top, there was a makeshift altar and cross to my right.
I stood around the altar and cross, tears trickling down my face. The salty taste of tears felt on my tongue. The words of Ellie Holcomb’s Red Sea Road echoing in my ear as I listened to these words “Sometimes we have to bury dreams leave them deep in the earth behind us.” Then prayers lifted to God like incense rising.
In the days to come, God answered those prayers lifted that day on the mountain. God showed me that even in the changing of seasons, new life rises! In the words of Clarence W Hall, “Easter says you can put death in the graves but it won’t stay there.”
Join me at #TellHisStory as Tara Ulrich, our featured writer, tells her story of a season of change. #newpost #featuredwriter @diakonia78 Click To TweetChanges don’t stay either. They are only for a season.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
And today I know that this time of uncertainty and change is only for a season. I trust in the one who hears my every prayer and calls me by name; calls you by name.
Don’t you just love how our stories collide with HIS story? Knowing we are sure to face change is less scary when we hold onto the truth of knowing God is always with us. Share your own season of change in the comments.
Blessings,
If you liked this post, check out these posts too!
Photo by Thanti Nguyen on Unsplash
Hello! I’m Tara! I’m a single girl who desires deeply to be a wife and mom. I am a minister of Word and service; a deacon of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) serving in western ND. I am currently in a time of discernment. I have served churches in Williston ND, Minot ND, Dilworth MN and Beulah ND. I am a farmer’s daughter, granddaughter and niece. The prairies of ND are my happy place. It is holy ground! I also am the daughter of a woman who lives daily with a mental illness. I self-published our story into a book titled “Living as A Daughter: 31 Days of Mental Illness.” I love spending time with my fur babies; my kitties Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom.
Oh Tara … I’m very familiar with those unexpected changes that life hurls at us. Like you, I’ve found great comfort in knowing that God will never leave us nor forsake us. (Deut. 31:8 is my favorite verse, in fact.) I’m so glad God met you on that mountain that day. (And I loved reading your bio … my in-laws live in ND and I have come to love those prairies too!) Thanks, Mary, for having Tara on your blog last week!
Someone once said, “Life is change.” It’s so true but thank you for reminding us that change is for a season.
I love the seasons; may I learn to embrace the changes the Lord has planned for each season of my life.
I need to learn embrace them too!
Thanks for sharing Tara with us. laurensparks.net
You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by!
Praying for your interview next week. I pray this next change is the best one!
Thank You! Xoxo
Tara. I am just so proud of you! You are such blessing.
Thank You for your sweet kind words!
Beautiful, Sweet Friend!
Thank You!
Thank you for the encouraging reminder that God is with us and will never leave us through any season of change, Tara. Cold weather is hard for me because of lung disease, and I often have to keep inside where it’s warm. I also am prone to pick up the bugs that run around during this time. So this is a timely reminder. Even though I have learned to accept this more, I’m afraid that deep down it’s a grudging acceptance towards God’s plans instead of a quiet trust. I want to trust Him and His plans! I’m so glad God spoke to you on the mountaintop. Oh, and I love the names of your kitties. 🙂 Thank you both! And love and blessings to both of you!
You’re welcome! I’m glad it was a timely reminder for you. Thanks! My kitties names come from Harry Potter. Love and blessings to you too.
Thank you so much Tara for this encouragement that new life rises in the midst of changing seasons. I am going to write that down because it is something that I need to remember.
I am glad it spoke to you!
It is wonderful how God meets us on the mountain tops and in valleys – and all the steps in between. So, thankful for His faithfulness! Enjoyed your post this morning – praying God’s blessings (and peace) in this “new” season of change.
It truly is wonderful. Thank You! Glad you enjoyed my post. I also very much appreciate your prayers.
Thank you for sharing these beautiful words, Tara and Mary. I have been in a changing season for a while now. But your words are such a comfort–every changing will come to an end, and won’t last forever. He has a purpose in each place. Blessings and love to both of you!
I am so glad my words are a comfort to you today. God does Indeed have a purpose. Sometimes it’s hard to trust that in the midst of the change though. Blessings and love to you too!
Beautiful post, Tara, and it’s lovely to see your words here! Those times of change can be a challenge but it definitely helps to know that God has a plan and to trust that he knows what he is doing. I love Ellie Holcomb’s music too!
Thanks Lesley! It does help to know and trust God has a plan. Love that you love Ellie’s music too.
Tara, I love the names of your fur babies. My two favourite characters from those stories! God is constantly teaching us how to ebb and flow through seasons. It’s fall here on my Canadian prairie land, and soon the winter winds will be coming, slippery roads, and snow shovelling. I can miserably resist or can accept the season. Your post reminds me that God guides us to the beauty of every season if we let go.
Thanks! I love their names too. I needed that reminder to let go too.
Tara, hi. I love that God met you on the mountaintop and I’m happy to meet you this morning. You’re reminding me that He’s right there, no matter where we are. When we seek Him, we find Him.
What joy.
Mary, thanks for introducing us to another one of your friends …
Happy to meet you here too. And I too am glad God met me on that mountaintop too.
Oh change! One thing I really do not like!
But in this world it’s a constant!
I’m so glad Jesus is my constant, that through Him I can have a beautiful relationship with the One who never changes & is the same yesterday, today & will be tomorrow. How comforting is that!
Lovely to meet you Tara,
Bless you,
Jennifer
I do not like change really either. But is indeed a constant. I too am glad Jesus is my constant. Lovely to meet you too. Bless you as well.
Tara,
Thanks for sharing here today! Thanks for the reminder though change is uncomfortable, it only lasts for a season. God always goes ahead and prepares where we are going so if we lean into the changes and stick close to God, soon it will feel more comfortable. If God is with us, we are never far from home.
Blessings,
Bev xx
You’re so welcome. I think we all need that reminder once in awhile. I love that image of never being far from home when God is with us. Blessings to you too!
Mary and Tara, thank you for the reminder that He is faithful in every season. Every single season, every change – all a part of His plan for our lives. “And we never walk alone down a Red Sea Road!” Blessings!
You’re so welcome. Indeed “we never walk alone down a Red Sea Road.” Blessings to you too!
Tara and Mary, you are kindred spirits in your living and in writing gift–so many similarities in your way of sharing your stories and of being in the world!
Fall always speaks to me as well, whispered lessons about letting go and change and the hope that is latent in the little deaths we experience as part of this following life.
Blessings to you both!
Kindred spirits…I love that. Fall is good at reminding us of change. Blessings to you too!
The truth in a line from “Be Still My Soul” got me through a season of many major changes a few years ago and stays with me still: “In every change, He faithful will remain.”
Ooh I like that. Thanks for sharing.
Tara, how fun to see you here! I’m so thankful that, even though life brings continuing change, our Father is still the same yesterday, today, and forever. There’s something awe-inspiring when He meets us in our places of uncertainty and change.
Thank You! It’s so fun to be here. You’re right it is awe-inspiring when God meets us in our places of uncertainty and change.
Thanks for introducing us to Tara! Letting go of dreams, burying them for a time, can be so very hard. I long to embrace it more, to know and trust in full faith that it is the best thing for me, these hard seasons. But the truth is I fight God quite a bit in the process. But I’d rather rail and wail to God than walk away from Him.
It can be so hard indeed. I think we all have a tendency to fight God in the midst of change. Yet even when we rail and sail and even lament,God is right there with us.
Good morning, Tara and Mary. What a beautiful way to start my day. Tara, I thank you for this post. I remember the one you referenced when you climbed in Colorado. It makes me think of how He leads us to remember the things He has done. Unexpected change is coming in my life too, can sense it. It is a comfort to know I have sisters to walk through it with. God bless each of you on this given Monday. In Christ, Julie
Good Morning to you too, Julie. You’re so welcome. Praying for you as you sense your own season of change. God bless you too!
And He makes all things beautiful in His time. Thanks for this reminder. Many blessings!
You’re welcome! Many blessings to you too!
Oops, I commented in the wrong place under Linda’s comment for some reason, my apologies, :-0
Jennifer
It’s totally ok. I found your comment,