Photo Credit: János Balázs via Creative Commons

 

[dropcaps style= ‘square’]T[/dropcaps]he calendar keeps turning, as we are in the last half of the year. When you look at each day, it can seem to move slowly, yet it passes quickly when we pull back and look at a whole year. As I look back over the past few months, I am reminded that time is a gift. While it is passing, it usually feels like anything but a gift. It can feel as if time creates the waiting period from where we are to where we want to be. In our waiting, it can seem like absolutely nothing is happen. Yet, if we use the time well, God can use time to be a blessing in our lives.

 

Measured Growth

 

When we were young, we used a measuring stick to monitor our growth. Every few months we would see how much more we had grown. As we got taller, it came with growing pains, the need for new clothes, and change. Yet, there was an excitement about growing. Once we reached a certain height, we stopped growing, but the person we are becoming continually grows and changes.

 

As we keep growing, we can experience seasons that are more characterized by waiting than doing. We can think nothing is happening, but waiting is not a passive activity. When I think about this concept, I can’t help but think about the farmer. The farmer gets to work planting their crops. Yet, time has to pass after the crops have been planted before harvest.  Crops don’t grow on their own. There is work to be done in the waiting. God wants to work in our waiting, as well.

 

He wants to grow in our hearts a deeper desire for Him, so we will take time to spend with Him. He begins working on the rough edges and helps us face things that we would rather ignore. Time facilitates the process of growth so it doesn’t all happen at once. As we follow God, sometimes it can be hard to say yes to His leading. We want to trust Him without limitations, yet we have to continually grow in our trust. This is when time can be very valuable as we walk with God. We need time to let the Lord change our hearts, which can allow our “no” to change into a “yes”. Sometimes it’s the slow process that gets our heart in the right place, even before our circumstances change.

 

Worth the Wait

 

We want progress, but we need time to grow and change. Waiting can be productive, because waiting is not passive. Instead of living like nothing is happening, we need to use the time well. Time is not our enemy. It not only allows us to grow good things in our lives, but it gives us the opportunity to become who we were created to be. In a world where we would rather microwave our lives instead of wait, it can be hard to slow our hearts to the pace in which God is leading us. Waiting can be emotionally exhausting, but it doesn’t have to be. Matthew 11:28-29 (MSG) says, “Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” The continual challenge is to find the rhythm and embrace what God is doing in our lives today.

 

In seasons of waiting, just remember that God is not rushed. His rhythm will bring calm to your life. So, you don’t have to feel rushed either. Give yourself permission to embrace time as a blessing. And as you move to the next season in your life, may you know that your waiting was time well spent.

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About Hona Amer

I help people live life to the fullest. Check out my book, Smart Work U. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. In order to receive updates, subscribe below.

 

 

 

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