God in Every Season

God in Every Season

Copyright © 2017 by Elizabeth Enlow

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures quoted are in the King James Version.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing by the publisher.

Published by Seven Mountain Publishing.

Find out more about Johnny and Elizabeth Enlow’s ministry at:

www.JohnnyandElizabeth.com

Cover design by Shan Wallace (www.gamads.com)

Interior Design and Layout by Michelle Van Geest

Edited by Grace Enlow

Photography by Justin Councill

ISBN# 978-0-9863279-5-7

Printed in the United States of America

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Although this book has been written for both men and women, I’d like to dedicate it to all the women in my life. I love the feminine heart of God that I’ve had the privilege to know through each of you. In your own ways, you’ve given me permission to fully explore and express the feminine heart of God that I’ve come to know and love.

Starting with the most gentle and fierce woman I’ve ever known, my momma, Cindy Tyler—you’ve faithfully nurtured me with the Father’s true spirit of adoption that I would have never had the chance to know if you hadn’t allowed it to flow from heaven, through your heart to mine.

My sisters, Missy Crosson and Christy Kyser—you’ve saved me with your wisdom, tears, and laughter through more than we ever thought any of us could survive. Their gorgeous daughters—you might as well be my own because I can’t imagine my world without each of you in it.

My grandmothers, Frances Tyler, Mary Morgan, and Fran Smith— strong women who each launched me forward by the example they lived in overcoming many trials and limitations while raising their children in the face of war, grief, and all the challenges that came with being a woman in the south.

My amazing aunts, Joan Morgan, DeeDee Morgan, Donna Henry, and Becky Parham—the changes you’ve seen in culture, for good and bad, have never changed who you are and the convictions you each live by as you’ve faithfully served God and your families.

My own beautiful daughters, Promise, Justice, Grace, and Glory— you’ve shown me what love can look like in the midst of my messes, which turns out is the only real kind of love anyway. Out of all my treasures in this world, you will forever be my greatest.

My forever friends, Stephanie P., Amanda, Angela, Ansley, and Audrey—you’ve always cared for my heart at just the right times, in just the right ways. My many other girlfriends from childhood through college, from Georgia to California—you are extraordinary women whom I’ve had the privilege throughout the years to raise my kids, work, serve, and worship alongside. You’ve listened and labored for the dreams of God in your own lives in ways that provoked me towards truth while grounding me in the sometimes muddy, but always necessary love and camaraderie of friendship.

My mother-in-law, Gladys Enlow, and all the Enlow lineage of women (sisters-in-law and nieces)—through your strength in God and commitment to family you were the first to show me through your example that we can give ourselves to the nations without losing our true selves in the process.

And to the women I’ve been honored to minister to all over the world—your hugs and tears, your hunger and insistence for more of Him transcended every barrier of language and culture while I learned the value of hiddenness and humility in your eyes. You’ve given me the patience required to partner with the nameless and faceless whom He died for as we together watch His glory fill the whole earth.

This book would not exist apart from the men and women I worshiped alongside throughout the ten years I led worship at the church we pastored in Atlanta, Georgia—you know who you are. You responded to an invitation to worship for an audience of One, using every ounce of your musical talents, vocal expertise, sound engineering, and creativity to find every possible vein of His presence and express its beauty before His sons and daughters. You worshiped in the face of fear, self-doubt, and all the contradictions of your own personal struggles, allowing your love to hit its mark in the heart of a King who you believed heard and received it all. Particularly those who recorded Every Season of My Soul, the worship CD project that this book was birthed out of, Rachel Dyck, Brandon Weaver, Austin McDonald, Jon Murphy, and Al Greene—you’ve permanently marked this heart with the sounds of your love and hearts poured out before Him.

I’m thankful. Truly thankful.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

Being married to Mrs. Wonderful for 29 years now, I’ve been able to witness first-hand some of Elizabeth’s dialogue with the Lord. Over the years I’ve watched her passionate pursuit of God and His fulness— in the midst of mystery and seemingly stagnant circumstances, in the midst of life’s twists and turns, in times of abundance and lack, in pain and in rejoicing. As she’s navigated her heart through the different seasons of life that we all experience in varying degrees, I’ve seen my wife undergo personal transformation that has not only affected her own internal narrative, but has also truly cultivated a deeper truth and understanding of the goodness of God for our entire family. This book contains Elizabeth’s personal insight and revelation from a raw and honest place of profound relational experiences with God.

Elizabeth and I have been on a quest now for many years—to awaken hearts to the privilege and responsibility we have to change the world with our love for and from God, through all seven mountains of culture. As this message has developed in us, I’ve appreciated her unique perspective and passion for challenging reformers to fulfill whatever their call is as an overflow of their personal intimacy with God. I often quote A.W. Tozer, What you think about God is the most important thing about you. As sons and daughters we are entrusted with carrying and displaying different aspects of our Father’s nature. How we personally relate to God in each season of life has everything to do with how we represent Him to others. We are commissioned by God to bring heaven to earth, bringing transformation into every area of society, introducing the truth of what He’s really like and His better ways of doing things to each cultural mountain of influence—but we can easily overlook the first step of reformation that starts with us and God alone. As she likes to say, You cannot give away what you don’t have. We cannot properly carry the message of reformation without first undergoing a personal transformation.

Romans 12:2 says, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind… Every season of life we experience carries a unique expression of God and His nature. The renewing of our minds must translate into us shifting our perspectives and aligning our thinking with God’s—this means continually seeking out His nature. God is looking to reproduce certain aspects of Himself in us. Throughout this book Elizabeth explores the different seasons our souls cycle through as God builds a foundation and structure within each of us that showcases His character to the world. God wants us to seek out the deeper things within ourselves, amidst the raw confessions of our souls, so that He can truly reveal His goodness in every circumstance. When we really see Him and experience Him for who He is in every aspect of our internal narrative, then we can effectively convey that truth as an instrument of reformation to the rest of society.

My recommendation is that you embrace this book as a journey with God and not just a reading assignment to conquer. Elizabeth’s wisdom and insight is most valuable for people who will slow down to really get the deeper thing God is after. As you do this, you can expect many wonderful aha moments with the goodness and kindness of God. We are in an incredible new season where reformers of society are arising and shining as never before. Habakkuk 2:14 says, For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Creation is eagerly waiting for the children of God to be revealed. Let Him reveal Himself to you so that you can reveal Him through you. Find out what season you're in, embrace your season, and then find and embrace the nuances of who He is available to be for you and through you as a kingdom reformer.

Johnny Enlow

a.k.a. Mr. Wonderful

Speaker and Author of The Seven Mountain Prophecy, The Seven Mountain Mantle, Rainbow God, and The Seven Mountain Renaissance

INTRODUCTION

I’m definitely a relational person. When I hear speakers, listen to songs, or read books, I don’t just want to hear what they have to say. I especially want to know who they are and what they’re like. So allow me to introduce myself before I introduce you to this book. Because it’s important to value every person’s journey, I’ll let you in on some of mine in hopes that you’ll value and validate your own journey a bit more as you read through these pages.

THE AUTHOR—WHO AM I?

I adore my family and my husband, who I affectionately call Mr. Wonderful. Although I’m quite happy being a wife and mom, I’ve never been truly content in those roles alone. I know I was created to lead and bring change to everything around me. Life has always felt like something I have to make count in a big way—maybe in order to make all the pain I’ve been through worth it? I’m turning 50 soon, but still trying to figure out what I want to be like when I grow up. I don’t feel very grown up, but I’m aware I probably should by now. I’ve probably lived the majority of my days in some level of survival mode, mainly because I’ve not yet convinced myself that I really am ok. (Isn’t that ultimately called trust in God?) Honestly, I’m a little weary of trying to fix myself, so I’m daily learning to just enjoy who I am right now and what my life currently looks like, rather than waiting for a different version of myself or different circumstances.

Whenever I think about what means the most to me, it’s always my parents, my sisters and their families, my children, and Mr. Wonderful. Johnny and I have been married since I was 20 (before I graduated from college), and for almost 30 years he’s been my number-one proof of how much God loves me. One of the biggest driving factors in my heart and life has been a desire to be a team with him in advancing God’s kingdom in the world. That one desire has fueled more disappointment, frustration, fulfillment, and joy than any other desire I’ve ever had. Fortunately, it’s been a desire for Johnny as well. We set out from our beginning to have a marriage that would somehow reflect both the male and female heart of the Father and Jesus’ love and covenant with His bride. And I’m excited beyond words to say that we truly are learning how to be that team we’ve hoped to become.

I’m a romantic. I love being in love—with God and with my husband (who’s also my best friend). The three of us have gone through so much together and had many crazy adventures all over the world. I never really planned to travel, have kids, or be in ministry, but I’m so glad God wanted that for me and made sure it all happened. As a romantic, I have a very creative side to me, but it frequently wars with a strong need for order, structure, and finished to-do lists. I admire artists of any kind, but I respect those who accomplish meaningful tasks—so I get a little stuck somewhere in between.

I love analogies—in fact this book is sort of one giant metaphor, so I hope you like analogies too. I’ll be using a lot of them. I guess you could say I’m a word-picture girl. Just ask my kids! They can get a bit weary of conversations with me that begin with, It’s kind of like…—which sometimes makes me want to do it more. (Is that wrong?!) Actually, I value being understood probably way too much, but because of it I’ve latched onto a tool for communicating the nuances of what I’m trying to say or describe, in hopes that I’ll be heard. I’ve always appreciated how the natural speaks of the spiritual and helps the most simple mind like mine grasp deeper truths.

I love God more than anything else I can think of. For me, life has been a lot about learning how to live with an ache for more of Him. Over the years I’ve received compliments about my relationship with God, as well as my humility. Mr. Wonderful says I should just smile and say, I’ve grown so much in my humility that I need to tell you all about it! (He’s all about that brand of humor!) But my children, who keep me honest, tell me I have false humility. Either way, when I hear a compliment I always think to myself, If they only knew! So I’m going to tell you…and here comes one of those analogies I warned you about…I envision myself in reality clinging to God like a drowning person clings to a life preserver or a buoy bouncing in the endless waves of the ocean, tossed up and down. I imagine a more realistic compliment would be, I just love the way you keep your nose above water while you cling to your life preserver!

Well, if you like the way I cling to Him, I began learning that highly skilled art of hanging-on-for-dear-life when I was 8 years old. Looking back, I’m not sure that I really had a choice but to grab hold of the one steady thing that my parents made sure was within my reach. God became my everything because He was there. He was there when we first got news that my