He Is Recreating Me…Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring
Now What
“You took me out of Egypt, now take Egypt out of me.”
Oh my goodness, what a quote! I recently came across this quote from an unknown author on social media, and my oh my, how it resonated with me, especially given that I had just finished studying Exodus.
The NIV Study Application Bible says something very similar in the introduction to Leviticus:
“After Israel’s dramatic exit from Egypt, the nation camped at the foot of Mount Sinai for two years to listen to God. It was a time of resting, teaching, building, and meeting with him face to face. Redemption in Exodus is the foundation for cleansing, worship, and service in Leviticus.”
Just as the Israelites found themselves at the foot of Mount Sinai after their dramatic exit from Egypt, I imagine they may have wondered, “What now?” They had been delivered, but their new life was just beginning. Their deliverance became the foundation for learning what it meant to belong to God, worship Him, serve Him, and become holy, which is to be set apart for Him.
If you’ve followed my journal entries, you should have a high-level understanding of the grief, hurt, pain, tears, and crises I’ve recently “exited.” And, similar to the Israelites, now…I sit. I rest. I listen. I learn who I am in Christ, experiencing Him “face to face” through the Holy Spirit.
I’ve come through the crisis, and I’m entering a season of sitting with God and allowing Him to teach me. This isn’t simply a season of moving on; it’s a season of becoming who God created me to be.
And perhaps this is where the story of Israel connects so deeply with what Paul writes in Romans 6:22:
“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
But now.
Those words stop me. There is a now that comes after deliverance-a transition from what was into what comes next. Boy, have I experienced a dramatic transition…
(Side note: I attended a conference this past weekend where Romans 6:22 was discussed, specifically the words “but now.” I had already written most of this journal entry before the conference, so hearing those exact words felt like one of those little God winks-a gentle reminder that He was already speaking into something I had been processing. Of course, I had to come back and edit to include this part.)
But now…I sit. I listen. I let God teach me what freedom looks like.
While I’m in this holding pattern, I’m learning the difference between living according to the flesh and living by the Spirit. The flesh pulls us toward our own desires, ways, and understanding, while the Holy Spirit teaches us to live differently; to become more like Christ.
That doesn’t mean the struggle disappears. We can carry old patterns, wounds, and ways of thinking from seasons when we were simply surviving.
But I’m in a place where I finally understand the old saying: “The more of Him, the less of me.”
Not less of who God created me to be, but less of the fear, survival, control, and old patterns that no longer belong in this new life.
He has taken me out of Egypt.
Now, Lord, take Egypt out of me.
A Personal Note
So much around me has changed in this season. A new job, new relationships, new opportunities, new routines, and a new chapter have all unfolded in ways I couldn’t have fully imagined a year ago. In many ways, my life looks completely different.
And yet, I’m realizing that the greatest transition isn’t what has changed around me; it’s what God is changing within me.
One of my favorite songs is Nicole Nordeman’s Every Season. I listen to it on loop almost daily, and the lyrics have become especially meaningful to me. There is one line that could honestly be my personal tagline for this season:
“…And so it will be as You are recreating me: summer, autumn, winter, spring.”
Oh goodness.
Maybe that is what beginning again really means.
Not simply getting a new life, but allowing God to make me new within it. Not simply coming out of Egypt, but learning to live as someone who has been set free. Not becoming less of myself, but becoming more of who He created me to be as I surrender more of myself to Him.
The more of Him, the less of me.
My prayer for you, Dear Reader, is that you come to know the Holy Spirit and discover that He is the way. He will never leave you nor forsake you. And freedom? It is so much better than the temporary satisfaction of a life lived without Him.
I’m far from perfect. I’m still learning. I’m still being recreated. But this freedom feels so good that I want everyone to know about it.
And so, here I am; learning, surrendering, becoming, and beginning again. Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring.
Whatever season comes next, Lord, recreate me.
Ashley’s Recommended Resources for seasons of Brokenness
Bible: Leviticus
Book: Holy Spirit: God Within You, David Diga Hernandez
Music Playlist Selection:
Disclaimer: This article was self-written and not the product of AI. Any use of dashes was intentionally placed by the author.