Timing is Everything!

The wise man Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. 

Season & 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 throw 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 silent and a time to speak;

a time to love and a time to hate;

a time for war and a time for peace.”

This sacred list represents all of the seasons and the important changes in our lives. Some are happy times and others are sad times; some are productive, and some are wasteful; some inspire peace and others bring pain.

We are into the holiday season now which kicks off with Halloween.  Halloween used to be a favorite of mine but these days I’m feeling like it doesn’t call to me to dress up.  I’m in a reflective stage.  A time of spiritual metamorphosis.  Like a butterfly, I’m in the cocoon.  It isn’t pretty now, but I’m hopeful the end product will have me shedding my skin and spreading my new glorious wings that I’ve created, and I will be at my highest and best.

I moved to the desert when COVID hit. Like most everyone else, I needed to retreat and regroup and look at my life.  My business had come to a screeching halt. I didn’t know where my next deal was going to come from. There was no one to share the load with. I was alone. I didn’t know what to do and I was scared.  As a precaution, I moved my animals and myself to a small desert community 2.5 hours from friends and family. I was taking action to get safe. After spending all of my money to move and locate into a new property that I could afford, I was tapped out. I thought more money was coming because I was relying on a commission that was owed but not yet paid. This is the example of don’t count your chickens before they hatch. That money was desperately needed, but it did not come. It was months before I collected that money. This put me in dire straits.

My message to women like me is that we must take action to get solvent. I went through extreme hardship during this time. I ran through my cash and maxed out my credit. My bills were late. There were days I did not have enough money for food or gas. Eventually I got paid and I was able to dig out of the hole I was in.  Before long I began to resume my old way of life.  Going to parties. Getting my hair and nails done. Having the house cleaned. Hiring handymen to fix things around the house. Then my eyes opened. I saw that if I continued to spend the way I was spending before the hardship came, I would be right back where I was in a matter of months. God has me here for a reason. Maybe for a season. Maybe longer. We don’t know. All I know is that for today, God wants me here. 

When the seasons change, we think the blessing has changed. It isn’t so. The blessing hasn’t changed – the seasons have changed. There is a time to be born and there is a time to die.  A time to plant and a time to sew. How do we know the difference? 

Timing.

Timing is everything! You can’t be fruitful out of season. 

The best things in life take time. Things that you learn from struggling. It takes time to do well. 

We can’t have a new season until we say goodbye the season we had. The season of letting go. God is asking me to release my past to get ready for the new things he has in store for me. I can’t just automatically return to my old way of life. It won’t work. If we are stubborn in our thoughts, we will delay our next season. 

I’ve been blessed with many seasons.

I’ve sewed my wild oats season; I’ve had my married with children season; I’ve been in my career season; and my independent woman season;

I’ve been in my horse season for 17 wonderful years now. I don’t know how long it will last because my horses are 26 and 27 years old, but I know that when it ends my life will change.  Although I’m so grateful for this time with them, at the same time I’m limited by what I can do because I’m the only caregiver and it keeps me pretty tied to the ranch.  When this season ends, I look forward to a freer season that will involve travel and different scenes.  But at the end of the day God is in charge of the ‘when’ and the ‘what’ of it.  I know that he knows my heart’s desires and I’m going to thank him in advance for every day and know that all is well.

The way we get these gifts, is to give up the control and let God bring out the treasures and healing he has for you.  Trust him and thank him in advance for what he is about to do in your life. Stay in the day and know that ALL IS WELL.