Have you ever watched a clip of time-lapse photography as a flower blooms, a sun rises and sets, or inhabitants of a city swarm, frenzied, like busy ants in a colony? It takes only a few seconds to see the painstaking, micro-movements of activity, when in fact the process took hours, or days, to unfold. Sometimes the blessings of our lives occur so subtly, so gradually, that we fail to acknowledge them until after-the-fact, when we are able to view the whole picture from start to finish.
Some of you are experiencing an extremely slowed down pace right now, and it is an uncomfortable, even painful switch from the life you’re used to. A loved one has gotten ill (or maybe even yourself); a work adjustment such as a layoff or forced retirement has shaken your long-term goals; an empty nest just got full again; or God has perhaps led you into a place you thought would be teeming with production…only instead of what you expected, now your steps have ground down to a near halt. If you’re used to running a marathon, it’s just plain difficult to wade knee-deep in the mud of transition. You may even find yourself asking, “Lord, are You SURE this is what You ordered for me?”
Change is hard sometimes; it just is…especially for those of us who thrive on structure. We’re so sure, when we’re slammed by any unexpected turn that throws our schedule off, that it HAS to be an attack of the enemy to sabotage our happiness, peace, and progress. Certainly, that is the case sometimes. But know this: God is not at all taken by surprise at your circumstances; in fact, the very event that threatens to delay your blessing’s arrival by years could well be a Divine setup for a time-lapse blessing. Don’t disdain the season you’re in!
I once made a statement that the Lord expects us to bear fruit in every season of our lives; and in one sense, that may be true. However, this morning as I meditated on the Lord’s goodness while peering out at the changing, falling leaves, God brought that statement back to my memory and corrected me. He spoke to me, so clearly, that regeneration doesn’t occur without a dying off first. Oh, the tree itself is not dying when the amber and crimson leaves break free from their security and drift to the ground. Instead, the tree is undergoing a necessary process in order that life may continue and that it may produce fruit in another season.
As you dig your heels in and patience has her perfect work in you, be assured that you aren’t washed-up, and you’re no has-been. God is not narrowing your borders or putting you out to pasture! He has a far greater plan than you might realize. Embrace the falling of the leaves and enjoy ambling through avenues of transition…for though the crisp bite of winter’s chill seems to threaten to stay forever, as surely as spring will come and buds will break forth again, you too will burst with new growth in HIS INFINITELY PERFECT TIMING. You’ll look back at your time-lapsed blessing, having come away with so much more for having had to wait, and you’ll breathe the incredulous words, “Wow. You knew what You were doing the whole time!”
Scripture of the Day: “And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.” (Galations 6:9 AMP)
Lisa Crum is an inspirational freelance writer and Christian songwriter. She serves as administrative/pastoral assistant at Regional Church of God in Delbarton, WV. Lisa also ministers weekly as part of the praise team and worship band. For more from Lisa, visit her at http://www.facebook.com/lisa.crum.…
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