A time for everything

"There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

 a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,

    a time to kill and a time to heal
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
   a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
  a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
   a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,  a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,

   a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace"

Ecclesiastes 3

 

A year ago today I was in a sad, dark place and it felt like my world had come to an end. In other words - it was my time to uproot, weep and a time to throw away. But a year on I am in such a good place; with God, with family & friends and with work. So far the end of 2013 and the beginning of this year has been my time for new things to be born, a time to laugh and dance and a time to mend.

As Ecclesiastes states; there is a time for everything. I know that realistically I won't be in the time period of healing, building,dancing and embracing forever. There are going to be other times in my life where I feel it is time to give up, to throw away and to uproot. But what I have come to know is that God's timing is always perfect. It is never rushed, it is never too slow.

 

We may not know what God is up to in our times of wanting to kill (!) or our times of mourning or giving up. But we have to trust him. And we have to allow ourselves time to mourn and time to mend. As humans we feel mad at ourselves if we are sad - but sometimes you have to be. Sometimes when someone is going through a rough time we tell them too "smile and snap out of it" but you know they are allowed a time to mourn and to cry - give it to them.

 

Life was never given to us and promised it was going to be an easy ride. The different "times" in our life make for one heck of a rollercoaster ride and if you are going through low times right now I want to encourage you that it won't be forever. It may take time to get out of the low dip, but you will soon be back to the time of dancing and building.

 

Trust God. He makes everything beautiful in it's time.

 

 

 

 

 

Short & Sweet

Happy 2014! I hope you have all had a great first few weeks of the year- I felt like I should write a blog as it has been a while but I'm stuck on what topic to write about... it's funny that its moments of trial and heartache that you get most inspiration from, and if I am 100% honest at the moment I am in a place of such contentment and peace that I genuinely just want too write a big :-) on this page and leave it for you all to look at!

At the end of 2013 I wrote a few blog posts on lessons I'd learnt, but I didn't quite manage to say everything so I am going to quickly bullet point everything that is in my head right now.

 

• I learnt that no matter what happens life goes on, and that no matter how bad things seem today, they will get better tomorrow.
• Failure is part of the process; and its not just okay; its better than okay. God doesn't want failure to shut us down.. God didn't make it a "3 strikes and you are out" sort of thing - but that its more about how God helps us dust ourselves off so we can swing from the fences again.
•  I learnt that making a living is not the same as making a life
• I learnt that I (and you reading this) should not go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands but that you need to be able to throw something back
• I learnt that whenever I make a decision with an open heart it usually is the right decision
• I learnt that even if I have a pain, I don't have to be one
• And FINALLY, I learnt that people will forget what you said, and what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

These life lessons don't just apply to me-they are just things I happened to really open my mind to in 2013 and I hope to carry on with me for the rest of my life. These life lessons apply to you too.. Things get better, good things (heck even amazing things) can come out of failure or disappointment, God never gives up on you & being kind to people is a legacy to leave behind.

 

:-)