It is easy for the words “just wait” to flow from our lips. I know I am guilty of nonchalantly speaking those words over others and I have heard them countless times in various seasons of my life.

“Just wait until you graduate…”
           “Just wait until you get a “real” job…”
    “Just wait until you get married…”
 “Just wait until you have kids…”

The list could go on & on.

But the truth is, God gives us the grace to live out the life that He has put in front of us today.

There was a time for me to be single and it wasn’t until that season was complete that I would be anything else. I had to take the time to learn and embrace all that God had for me as a young single.

Like, that time he wanted me to learn to trust in His provision and push me to serve others on my first overseas mission trip.

Oh and am I ever so grateful for all of those trips with friends where time didn’t matter…

& I’ll never forget the excitement of buying my first home.

Entering the workforce, etc.

God graced me in that season.

Then, came John.

I knew when John began pursuing me that God wanted me to marry him even though he was unlike anyone else I had ever dated.

There was something in him that God needed me to partner with for His purposes.

So, John and I walked into marriage.

God empowered us to walk into marriage by His grace.

It wasn’t and isn’t always pretty, but that’s because life is sometimes messy as we navigate through unchartered territory.

Especially when we let ourselves (usually me) get in the way of things.

Let me go down memory lane…

The countless youth & young adult trips we led together.

The adventures in India.

& Thailand.

We have been married for four years in June, but we have packed those four years with some of the best adventures.

The latest & greatest adventure being our baby girl, Summer.

I can remember before having Summer, people saying things like,

“Get it all out now before you have kids…”

or

“You just need a baby!”

As though I could just magically make a baby appear.

I know there was no harm meant by those comments, but the truth is, I couldn’t change the fact that I didn’t have a baby, yet. There wasn’t anything wrong with John & I living out life the only way we knew how as a young married couple, in ministry, without babies. There wasn’t anything lacking in our marriage, just like there wasn’t anything lacking in my life when I was a young single, living out my life the only way I knew how.

One day at a time, following God’s voice.

Now, it’s, “Just wait until you have two babies…”

But, I can’t make two babies appear, just like I couldn’t just make Summer appear, just like I couldn’t make a husband appear…you see where I am going with this?

Don’t you dare believe the lie that your current season isn’t enough.

I want to encourage the person reading this who feels like they are lacking something in their current season of life.  I want to encourage the person that has been told, “just wait…” a few too many times and has started to believe that something is wrong with just embracing the life that is right in front of them.

Enjoy your life and don’t feel one bit of guilt doing so.

Don’t you dare believe the lie that your current season isn’t enough. It is enough. You are enough. & God sees you. Walk out your current season with grace & contentment, knowing that God is fully capable of catapulting you into your next season, when it is time.  Just because people around you are walking out what you think you should be walking in, don’t allow yourself to become bitter.

Dive into life and soak up the moments. Don’t rush out of a season in a hurry to get to the next thing. Relish each day that comes and get every drop out of life.

Fix your eyes on Jesus and focus on one day at a time. Don’t miss out on what is right in front of you. Life is happening today.

Remember, you can’t fast forward and you can’t go back, but you can seize the moment that is right in front of you. Life is not perfect, in fact, it is quite the opposite. & the same goes for people. We are all imperfect and are all in need of forgiveness from time to time. So today, extend a little more grace, forgiveness and mercy to those that are in your lives. Especially to those who have (probably unknowingly) said some things that have cut you to your core.

Forgive.

Let it go.

Live your life fully for the One that created you.

He sees you.

He loves you.

He has good plans for you.

Believe it, receive it, walk it out.

Ecclesiastes 3

New Living Translation (NLT)

A Time for Everything

9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. 15 What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.