Reason #251
Tonight I watched a movie that came out 10 years ago. I distinctly remember going to see it in theatres, and it does not feel like a decade has passed since then. I thought back to that period of my life. High school, not even old enough to drive. A teenager who had no idea what life held in store for her. A girl who was still a planner. A girl who tried to speed things up because patience is not her virtue. I kind of felt old tonight as I thought about what all has transpired over the past 10 years of my life. And here I am, full-blown adulthood. A girl who has been through a lot in ten years. I've learned a lot, enjoyed a lot, accomplished quite a bit, and I wonder where the time went.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a remote for life? I've spent a lot of time trying to fast forward and see what lies ahead. I've wished time away. Wished to turn 16, wished to graduate high school, wished to move out and start college, wished to get out of college, wished to be an adult. I've wished a lot. And there are times where a fast forward button would be very convenient. It would be nice to fast forward through the hard stuff. The trials, the pain, the difficulties, the uncertainties, the hardships, just skip over them. Get through them at a fast pace. Because truth be told, don't the hard times seem to take too long to pass?
But then we look back and a decade has passed and maybe a rewind button would be nice too. It would be nice to go back to the fun, easy, stress-free times. It would be nice to have an opportunity to, once again, enjoy those moments that you took for granted. And sometimes, it would be nice to rewind and have do-over. But you can't go back, and when you try to, you realize how quickly the good moments fly by, how fast time flies when you're having fun.
So, lately, I've found myself looking for a pause button because I'm stuck in this new space of wanting to fast forward and wanting to rewind. Life is flying by so quickly that some days I feel I can't keep up. I am enjoying my time, enjoying this season of life, enjoying what God is doing so the internal conflict begins. I want to stay right here and bask in the beauty of this season, however, I am also curious to see what lies ahead. But as I've spent many, many months reflecting, I realize that I've not spent a lot of time just enjoying life as is, at the moment. I've been too concerned about what had happened or what might happen to pay attention to what was actually happening. And I regret it. I regret wishing time away. I regret pushing the minute hand. Because time is one of those few things you can't get back. Decades pass a lot faster than you realize. And so, although you don't get the opportunity to go back in time, I've come to see that God is gracious to give us new opportunities and experiences to fill our present time. And so wisdom has been gained and I see how vital it is to enjoy each season as you pass through them. Some season are not nearly as much fun as others, but when the season ends, it's over. And so you take the time and soak it up. Soak up the minutes given to you. Maybe they are learning minutes, maybe they are growth minutes, maybe challenging mintues, or maybe blissful minutes. But whatever type of minutes they are, take them as they come. If the minute hand ticks slowly, don't push it. If the minute hand ticks quickly, don't stop it. Allow time to pass exactly as it should.
And I suppose what I'm learning is that life must be enjoyed in real time, exactly as it comes. Truthfully, it passes quickly enough without our help. And so, here I am, ready to push pause. For the first time in my life, I'm not counting the number of the ticks. Because life is precious and we only have one minute at a time to live it. So when God gives you those new opportunities and experiences, when you've pushed through the tough stuff and are at a good spot, enjoy it. Don't rush it, don't drag it out, let time tick as it should, because God's timing is always perfect!
#251 - Because His timing is perfect!
Many people say, “Who will show us better times?” Let your face smile on us, Lord. - Psalm 4:6
Wouldn't it be nice to have a remote for life? I've spent a lot of time trying to fast forward and see what lies ahead. I've wished time away. Wished to turn 16, wished to graduate high school, wished to move out and start college, wished to get out of college, wished to be an adult. I've wished a lot. And there are times where a fast forward button would be very convenient. It would be nice to fast forward through the hard stuff. The trials, the pain, the difficulties, the uncertainties, the hardships, just skip over them. Get through them at a fast pace. Because truth be told, don't the hard times seem to take too long to pass?
But then we look back and a decade has passed and maybe a rewind button would be nice too. It would be nice to go back to the fun, easy, stress-free times. It would be nice to have an opportunity to, once again, enjoy those moments that you took for granted. And sometimes, it would be nice to rewind and have do-over. But you can't go back, and when you try to, you realize how quickly the good moments fly by, how fast time flies when you're having fun.
So, lately, I've found myself looking for a pause button because I'm stuck in this new space of wanting to fast forward and wanting to rewind. Life is flying by so quickly that some days I feel I can't keep up. I am enjoying my time, enjoying this season of life, enjoying what God is doing so the internal conflict begins. I want to stay right here and bask in the beauty of this season, however, I am also curious to see what lies ahead. But as I've spent many, many months reflecting, I realize that I've not spent a lot of time just enjoying life as is, at the moment. I've been too concerned about what had happened or what might happen to pay attention to what was actually happening. And I regret it. I regret wishing time away. I regret pushing the minute hand. Because time is one of those few things you can't get back. Decades pass a lot faster than you realize. And so, although you don't get the opportunity to go back in time, I've come to see that God is gracious to give us new opportunities and experiences to fill our present time. And so wisdom has been gained and I see how vital it is to enjoy each season as you pass through them. Some season are not nearly as much fun as others, but when the season ends, it's over. And so you take the time and soak it up. Soak up the minutes given to you. Maybe they are learning minutes, maybe they are growth minutes, maybe challenging mintues, or maybe blissful minutes. But whatever type of minutes they are, take them as they come. If the minute hand ticks slowly, don't push it. If the minute hand ticks quickly, don't stop it. Allow time to pass exactly as it should.
And I suppose what I'm learning is that life must be enjoyed in real time, exactly as it comes. Truthfully, it passes quickly enough without our help. And so, here I am, ready to push pause. For the first time in my life, I'm not counting the number of the ticks. Because life is precious and we only have one minute at a time to live it. So when God gives you those new opportunities and experiences, when you've pushed through the tough stuff and are at a good spot, enjoy it. Don't rush it, don't drag it out, let time tick as it should, because God's timing is always perfect!
#251 - Because His timing is perfect!
Many people say, “Who will show us better times?” Let your face smile on us, Lord. - Psalm 4:6