HIS timing, Not Ours.

It feels a tad bit like fall right now, and I'm kinda in love with it. I went on a bike ride today and I went outside in a tank and quickly realized that I'd probably be a little chilly with that, so a quarter zip and leggings it was.

These kinds of days are my favorite, and one of the many reasons I love the fall months (yes, sorry, I know it's still August). Seasons are changing though, the days are getting shorter, the sun is coming up later.

It's not just the actual season, but the seasons of lives are changing as well. Kids are back in school, everyone is spending their last days out on the water, resumes are being redone, and for me, another season begins as one job ends and the search for another begins.

I've known for awhile that I'd be done at this time, and I've been applying to jobs for a couple weeks. Everyone keeps asking me what I'm doing next. Sometimes it's frustrating not having a straight answer for them, especially when I'm one that usually likes to have some sort of plan, and especially when someone different asks me almost every single day.

I have a lot of ideas in my head of what I'd like to be doing and with that come even more questions.. Should I stay, should I go, what should I do?

I always have a million thoughts running through my head when I ride my bike, and today it had me thinking hard about being patient and trusting God's plan.

With fast food, overnight deliveries and everything in our generation being available seemingly whenever you want it, we don't have to patient with much. When we do, how often do we through a fit and grow impatient within minutes. Say we're driving somewhere and we hit traffic, how long does it take us to grow irritated and start yelling about it? 

Social media heightens our awareness of others lives and can create a restless sense within us, especially when seeing others thrive where you seem to struggle. We oftentimes forget that social media is a place for the highlight reel of people's lives. We don't see the hard times and the worries and doubts, but the good moments and successes. 

So when it comes time for us to be patient, it's tough.

We want a job, we want a family, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a marriage, a house of your own, more this, more that.. and we don't want to wait for it. We want it right now. 

But, sometimes that isn't God's plan for us. Sometimes we have a season of life when we have to be patient and we have to wait. I've been there the past few months, and it's challenged me and frustrated me in more ways than I thought possible, but in that, I've found new strength and new hope that God promises us. 

It's been a time of excitement, fear, heartbreak, fun, new adventures and places, new people, and lots of laughter. I always thought I had all of my trust put in the Lord, but when things arose that left me feeling insecure and upset, I found a new side of Him that I hadn't had to pursue before.

I tried to make things work that I'd been praying hard about, but I knew weren't right for me. If I asked for a sign of it being right or wrong, I knew in my heart He'd given me plenty, and I mean plenty, but yet, don't we tend to think we know better than Him (and everyone else) when it's something we have our heart set on? So that's why I did. 

After awhile though, it drains you. It causes more tears than happiness and then Satan starts to wiggle his little way into your brain, convincing you that it's what you deserve, that you don't deserve this or that, to be happy, to have this job, to have that woman or man in your life.

He knows we'll do this. He knows sometimes we'll stray from the path He wants for us, but still is there waiting with arms wide open when we come back. 

It doesn't mean that we're "weak," or "uncool," or everything negative that society will try to label us. It means that we trust God enough to give Him control of our lives, to trust that His plans are greater than ours and that in HIS timing, it will all work together far better than we could have orchestrated in our own doings. 

You see, God wants to work through you and me, if we're willing, He'll lead us. He'll direct our steps, our life path, our opportunities and chances that we take. When I graduated two years ago and surprised everyone with taking a gig on the east coast for 4 months, I went out of my comfort zone, but knew that it was where God wanted me. Sure I was afraid, but when you put your faith and trust in Him, He won't leave you free-falling. He'll be there, your parachute to help you land safely where He wants you. 

It might take a few stops, but He won't fail you or I. It might feel like you're jumping out of an airplane thousands of feet in the air, especially if it's trusting Him in ways you haven't before. He won't push you out, He'll let you jump when you're ready, and when you do, when we decide to give it our all with Him, He's there, He's got our back, and He's got the perfect landing spot for us. 

In His timing, we'll land it. The job, the relationship we've been praying long and hard for, the home we've been dreaming up, the kids we've been wanting to have. None of it will come a second late. 

In the mean time, be encouraged and do not grow weary. Instead, be excited and joyful and anticipate the good to come. 

Lamentations 3:25-26  The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,  to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord

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