Seasons of The Good And The Bad

I spent seven years in the workforce as a school teacher before the birth of our second child. It was then my husband and I decided to transition our family into a single income and have me stay home to raise our boys.

The transition was rough with adjusting our budget, re-allocating time, and making new friends. I enjoyed the benefits of being home and having time with my boys, but I struggled with all the challenges.

God was quick to teach me that in every season I would have to learn to take the good with the bad.

Once our youngest son headed off to kindergarten I found myself with plenty of time and headed in to work part time at my husband’s office.

We found ourselves in another new season, again, with benefits (extra income) and disadvantages (undone laundry and more chores for all).

One day, in the midst of some chaos, I found myself ready to gripe about the frustrations when the Holy Spirit whispered, “You have to take the good and the bad. Not just the good.”

It’s totally my jam to want to take the good and leave the bad. I want the benefits of the blessings, but not the burdens of them.

In marriage this lesson is so important to learn. There are seasons of marriage when things are simple and smooth sailing. These seasons make gratitude easy. While seasons of struggle and burdens can make gratitude difficult and illusive.

However, in marriage, we take the good and the bad. The sickness and the health. The wealth and the struggle. The “for better or for worse.”

In a fallen world we will certainly have the “for worse,” but we just don’t want to talk about it. We don’t mention the dirty diapers, the shoestring budgets, lay offs, aging parents, post-baby bodies, depression, anxiety, cancer, or rebellious children when we make our marriage vows. We wrap it all up in tiny little words like “for worse” and pray we never have to worry about that part of our vows.

Jesus isn’t just a God of the good stuff- He is the God of the “for worse” stuff. The God who steps into the mess and makes it holy.

Whatever season you’re in today, whether it’s the good or the bad, just remember they are separate sides to the same coin. We take on both sides when we want to enjoy the benefits of the coin.

The bad doesn’t last forever, and the good won’t always be as good. Regardless of what season we’re walking in, we have a God who is always faithful, always constant, and always true. Anchor your life, your spirit and your marriage to Him and there will always be good in the not so good moments.

Wife Step: Take five minutes right now and write out all the blessings you are enjoying. Then take a moment to write out all your burdens. Lay the burdens at the Cross and ask Jesus to give you a heart of gratitude for all the good and the bad in your life.

Natalia Drumm is a writer, speaker and teacher with a passion for building community and engaging women in the Word of God. She is married to her high school sweetheart, and they are raising three little boys in their home town of North Port, FL. Natalia and her husband serve in their local church as marriage small group leaders and life group coaches. They have a passion for healthy marriages as they have seen the restorative power of God in their own marriage and family.

Natalia is an assignment writer for Lifeway Women and serves as the Bible Study Content Editor at Living by Design Ministries. She also volunteers at Proverbs 31 Ministries on their proofreading team and leads a COMPEL Discovery Group. Natalia writes over at www.nataliadrumm.com where she creates devotional study books on issues relevant to womanhood and living in the fullness of God’s design for womanhood.

When not writing, or serving at church, Natalia spends her time running, reading and enjoying a good Netflix binge. She’s also not be one to turn down a cold Coke and hot chocolate chip cookie.