You’ve heard it before….’life is a marathon not a sprint’! ‘Good things take time’ and ‘nothing good comes easy!….Yup..these are the cliche sentences we hear when we are expectant and our hopes are lingering on by a single piece of thread! I wont lie, advice like that does nothing to help me when I feel I am in dire need of change or a miracle. I want instantaneous answers to my prayers and when they dont come I am not a happy bunny. I get upset, sulk and ask God very harsh questions about His timings and plans.
The one thing I’ve learnt about my walk with God is surrender. Truth is there is only so much you can do and in the real scheme of things, very little of life is in your control. Yes, you can plan, set goals, take action and aim higher but the results are open to different variables and dependent on many factors. Surrender doesn’t mean you sit back and watch, it means you trust and do the best you can as many times as you can- and no matter the outcome you keep trusting that God has got you!
I found this post on one of my fav blogs lovenwords. I sometimes feel like Chioma, the blog’s creator, is a far away sister I have never met. The girl always manages to speak my heart! Here’s what she has to say about when you feel ‘your time should have come by now’!
If there’s one trait that connects us as human beings, it’s definitely impatience! We’ve always wanted to get our prize and treasure right! now!! And it’s only getting much much worse. We are truly the “microwave generation” – expecting to throw our meals into the machine, and receive a hot and ready meal in less than 10 minutes. From Instant Messaging to Instagramming, we’re always trying to get it all out right now.
Unfortunately, life just doesn’t work that way – even when we think it does. Forget all the conversations about overnight success and instant phenoms. There’s no such thing. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen an old movie, and noticed that one of the people considered one of the “biggest movie stars in the world” has been grinding it out for ages & ages. I’ve noticed some of the current, “biggest” names as little more than extras in their early roles, or as child actors stillfinding their way, or simply making cameos.
The thing is that we’re often not interested in hearing about the behind-the-scenes stories, or the before-I-became-who-I-am-today stories. Somehow, it’s far more glamorous for us to hear the stories of what we consider “success” now. In our minds, we seem to assume that people just wake up and have a huge bounty waiting for them. Thankfully, life doesn’t work that way – and GOD certainly doesn’t work that way.
Image via LaMuseNoire.tumblr.com; Shot by Madisin Bradley for Martha Stewart Weddings
It’s ironic to talk about being grateful or thankful about waiting, isn’t it? Like everyone else, I too have a timeline of expectations, dreams, and desires that I expect to have become a total reality by now. Like everyone else, I absolutely have moments of struggle in which I question God’s plans and ask Him why important things take sodarn long! Yet, I keep learning & re-learning that, for real, He knows exactly what He is doing – much more than I ever could. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that God’s timing is always absolute perfection: it’s never too early & it’s never too late. Plus, He keeps us in the waiting room to teach us important lessons that we need for the journey forward, like: discipline & commitment; organization & timeliness; empathy & compassion; focus & single-mindedness; faith & conviction. These are lessons we could never ever learn if we didn’t have to wait, if we didn’t have to build on the foundations of what we have and where we are now.
So, when you’re certain your big break should have happened by now, just surrender. Let go of that timeline of expectation, and just know that your current assignment has 2 parts: trust Him completely; and be completely diligent in the work you are doing where you are. The rest … well, it will be ready exactly when it’s supposed to be – and not a second too late. 🙂
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