Nothing is gained by pushing the river, for the water ultimately arrives at the sea in its own perfect time…
We can’t force things — friendships, relationships, careers, decisions, etc. Deep down, I’ve always known this, but that hasn’t stopped me from trying to anyway.
Lately, I’ve been trying to force many things in my life…
I’ve convinced myself to get ahead of my heart when it comes to dating; my ambitions to get ahead of my experience when it comes to my career; my mind to get ahead of my age when it comes to life-planning.
What I’ve learned while trying to force all these major events and decisions, while trying to make something happen or prevent something else from happening, is that despite my greatest efforts, some things just require better timing.
My mom, being the light of hope that she is, has always told me “you can have everything you want, you just can’t have it all at once.” As it turns out, she seems to be right (spoiler alert: she’s always right).
There are a time and a place for everything — a reason and a season. Just because something isn’t happening right now, right this very instant, doesn’t mean it will never come to fruition!
Whatever higher power you believe in, be it God or just simply the ways of the universe, there’s someone somewhere testing products, gathering ingredients, stirring, mixing and blending them to no end to concoct your own perfect, personalized life recipe.
So maybe you haven’t landed your dream job yet; maybe you haven’t met your one true love; maybe you don’t have that huge house, that fancy car, or those expensive clothes…
But maybe you DO have a job that pays the bills, or a great family and friends who love you still! Maybe you DO have a roof over your head, food in your fridge, and clothes to keep you warm.
Maybe you have all the right ingredients, but your ultimate life recipe is just taking a little longer to form?
If that’s the case, trust me when I say, it’s going to be OK. If we had everything we ever wanted — right here, right now — what would we have to look forward to? To work towards? To aspire to be?
As long as we continue to work hard and reach for our dreams, we will one day have everything we want and need; it’s just a matter of having faith and being patient enough to wait for the right timing.
And you know what? I think I’d rather it be that way. After all, no masterpiece was ever created in a day! When something is truly worthwhile, it takes a lot of patience, planning, and preparation; but in the end, all that hard work, persistence, and dedication just results in a deeper, more meaningful love and appreciation.
