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

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.”

Ephesians 3:1-8

I sat in my therapist’s office, hugging the brown and red pillow to my chest as I had so many times before. It made me feel secure. The feel of the carpet-like fibers against my hands and the pressure on my body made my anxiety lessen.

I was like one of those dogs in its thunder jacket.

As I expressed my concerns, worries and sorrows to this sweet lady she smiled and listened. After much thought, she paused.

“Lisa, you are judging your life by this one snap shot…. not the whole roll of film…”

The whole roll of film…

Had I ever considered that before?

Not really.

Her words continued, “Time is the test of everything…”

Time.

I have never met a word that was as much my enemy as my friend.

Things change. And time goes on. Throughout time we experience changes in our relationships, our moods, our decisions, our maturity and even our desires. Our perceptions change. Our families change. Our goals change.

My dear friend, you may feel time may be your biggest enemy, when in fact time is your ally.

In a time of grief, pain and struggle it is time that is one of the key components in healing a broken heart.

When you feel you can not make it through the next minute, the next hour, the next day, time says “Rest. Wait. Pray….”

Your brain says, “We must fix this now. We must go now. We must make everything right now.”

God says, “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.” Psalm 46:10

“But God I HAVE TO…”

Be still.

“BUT GOD YOU CAN’T DO THIS…”

Be still.

“BUT GOD I KNOW BETTER THAN YOU…I KNOW WHAT I NEED”

Be still.

“BUT GOD YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND.”

Then he stretched out His hands and died.

Be still.

Abraham became a father in his old age. The Israelites roamed the desert for 40 years. Esther waited a year before she became queen. Mary walked with and cared for Jesus for 33 years before He died and rose again.

It seems that all of these great stories of the Bible that we read all have one thing in common: time. And in those times of waiting, in those times of mourning, in those times of laughter, in the time in between God was doing something amazing.

Beloved, God is not against you. He knows what you need. He created you.

And time is the test of everything.

Be still.

You are loved.
You are valued.
You are useful.