Seasons

I listened to a talk on hormones today. It's sorta what I do. I love learning. Hormones specifically are becoming a passion of mine. She started to draw out the chart of a woman's cycle. I've seen it a million times. This time it's different. She starts to compare each section of a woman's cycle to a season. A bit weird, I started to wonder where she was going with it. When she was done, I couldn't believe how it had resonated with me. 

Let's call the week of our period winter. The week after, right before we ovulate, is spring. Summer comes the week after we ovulate and fall is the week before our cycle starts again.  Progesterone and estrogen weave up and down throughout working together like a symphony. Have you seen the chart?

The first half is dominated by estrogen (blue line). She explained that estrogen is the hormone that sparks the creation of new ideas. New ideas come from a place of knowing something has to change. Winter, the season you hunker down, life slows, it gives you the opportunity to catch your breath and see the things that need to change. I was battling a deep depression, a heaviness. Now, I'm seeing this season for what it is, a gift. I'm getting out my notebook and allowing new ideas to flow. Instead of becoming overwhelmed by it I'm embracing it. In "summer" progesterone takes over. That's the nesting, nurturing, practical hormone that gets things done, implements the ideas. OK. I'm grateful for the insight, grateful to understand a bit more about hormones, about me. To embrace this season.

So instead of piling on extra progesterone support to try and make me feel like its summer already, I'm embracing this moment, supporting estrogen and breathing deep as peace washes back over me. I forgot that the Lord is in every season. He designed them for a purpose. I will rest in Him.