WHEN IS IT THE RIGHT TIME?
When our children were younger we decided to attend Saturday evening Mass to avoid the crowds. We’d sit near the back of the church. Behind us was a doctor from our community who attended weekly with his wife. I’m not sure we were the best family to have settled in front of them, but I am sure we did add some humor to their lives. Most of the time, the kids napped over one of our shoulders.
In order to keep our youngest busy, we carried a small bag of Cheerios with us. As you may have already guessed from where this story is going, that a bag spilled. Of course, we had cheerios everywhere like confetti after a party. It was not a pretty sight and one that still is vividly fixed in my mind. They were under pews and in the aisle. It was near the end of the service and people were quietly praying. An “a-oh” was sounded by the smaller child. Our 5 year old leaned over to me and whispered “should I pick them up NOW? or just wait?”
And so ….
Life is like the cheerio story, sometimes we spill. We make mistakes. We have to make a decision about a job and pick the wrong one! The car breaks down; we take it to some place and it turns out to be the wrong place for a repair. Do we keep the car and have it fixed? So many of our life decisions make us wonder “when is it the right time?” Are we making the best choice? The solution is simple. Just pick up the pieces, clean up the mess, and go forward.
Mini miracles may happen when we fix our sights upward toward the heaven and ask for direction. Almost instantly we get a direction to call someone or a complete stranger makes a comment that focuses us elsewhere. Being open-minded is good. It allows us to grow and question things we otherwise might miss. I personally recognize that God created everything, including me. He does have a plan for me and you. We need to be open and willing to hear about it. Taking time in silence and prayer is most helpful.
Someone gave me a small devotional book this past November. JESUS CALLING; Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young. It is a great little book. I do not read it day by day, but will often sit and dwell on a few days at a time. The scriptures that apply are listed so one can go to the bible for your own insights.
Life has taught me to take one day at a time. I recognized this a long time ago when my mother and dad were both very ill. I could not prevent things from happening and I could not fixate on the problems. I was very busy keeping things status quo for myself, them, and my small children.
Often the answer of how to handle things become crystal clear after a good nights sleep. Sharing the issue with a reliable person may also help to resolve the problem because of added information from them.
Selecting the right time to sell our home, change doctors, get a new car or job may be problematic. Solutions come in many packages, “all problems are temporary” and many decisions are not!