Time

Time

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:  a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;  a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;  a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;  a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;  a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.  What gain has the worker from his toil?  I have seen the business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has put eternity into man’s mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." ~  Ecclesiastes

  Todays reading got me to think of all the different seasons and times in our lives. There are times we are going through many of these times at once even. We may be harvesting what we have sown and at the same time be planting the seeds from what we just harvested.  We may be breaking ourselves down so we may rebuild ourselves again. There is not a set time that we experience these just that there is a time for each. We do not know when these things will happen but God does. This is in His time frame not ours. 

     I always liked this reading. It is all those changes and emotions we deal with in life. There is not one of these that we have not experienced or will experience at sometime in our lives. It gives hope when we are going through those hard times of anger, breaking down, mourning, etc... that love, rebuilding, dancing etc.. will be coming for us again. I love the fall and spring because that is when the changes happen. If it was not for those two seasons there wouldn’t be change. It is the awakening of the spring that ends winter darkness and the crisp fall that ends the heat of summer. We are to change as well. We need to die to ourselves so we can live in Jesus name. Jesus went through all of these as well in His life. 

      

       My favorite part is “a time to break down, and a time to build up”. No matter how far you break down there is always a way to build yourself up again. He will not leave you an empty shell, He will fill you and wants to be that foundation that we build ourselves on again. One thing that I will say is that foundation that He built in me was still there after all the tearing down I did. That foundation is stronger then even I thought. Once that is there, it is easier to go back and rebuild again. The best advice when building is to ask for the plans from God and keep asking as you are going along. Don’t stop asking midway and start to do your own plans because it just may not fit with the rest of structure. 

       There will be those “times” where we are unsure of what time it is. Things are not always so clear. In those times of uncertainty turn to God and ask what you are to do now? What is next? One of those times is when there is a death and of course you will weep and mourn but you will also laugh and dance during those times as well. It is hard to laugh and dance but you will have memories that will make you feel the blessing it was to have them in your life for the time you did. Then it will be right back to weeping and morning the next moment. It will take time, maybe a lot of time before your laughing will out weigh your weeping but the time will come. I promise you that. 

         Everyone will go through all these times in their lives. It is how we handle these times that makes and forms us. I have to say that it was not in those times of splendor that God changed me the most. It was in those times of change and storms in my life that God changed me the most. Those times are the ones that my greatest leaps for God were taken. Where my greatest strengths came through. Where my greatest growth was. Those times shaped me and I bet that is when you felt the most growth as well. During those times we normally don’t see it or feel it but when you look back you will.

        Time is only measured here on earth.  We put time constraints on our lives and at least I know I do at times try and put that on God as well. God does not put that on us. Whatever time we give, whatever time we take to change, whatever time we pray, He takes and will not say your time was up or He only has enough time for one prayer. God is timeless.

    Until tomorrow, God Bless, and remember to take time for God.