"But time and chance happened to them all," (Ecc. 9:11)
This morning, I watched a nice fall rain pour into my backyard. It was soothing and pleasing. Our dry grounds need it.
I caught a few rain drops in this image...
I looked back to my reading in Ecclesiastes 9, and stumbled upon today's Scripture verse.
"The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all."
I find this passage of Scripture affirming because for all my efforts successful or not, it reminds me that there is a greater One who is in charge of it everything. It reminds me that the dreams of my heart that have come to fruition as well as the ones that have not, all of them lay in the hands of God. And if He sees fit, they will occur.
"The mere possession of speed, strength, wisdom, cleverness, and skill does not in itself guarantee success. We cannot bulldoze our way through life, " (J. Stafford Wright*). Wright goes on to say that there are proper times for each action and we must continue "to use our gifts in the light of what we think the future will bring."
As I watched the rains hit the ground, a thought occurred to me.
It is God who brings the rain, not I.
There is no way that Candice can make or force the clouds to rain, but it is only God, His power, plan and will. There is much comfort in that because I find myself continually frustrated by the "make it happen" push our world speaks. There are so many major things I'd like to achieve, but absolutely can't on my own. While I might be a catalyst, far be it from me to poof! bam! voilà! it's done! Granted there are plenty of things that poof, bam and voilà can pertain to... but when it involves others, their thoughts, decisions, and a team full of efforts, the notion of "make it happen" can and is very much out of my hands.
It has been a huge struggle to leave my dreams in the hands of God. I am really good at saying, "Ok, thanks for the surge of energy, I'm going to take it back and go try to get er' done." Swipe! There I go taking the dream again out of God's hands. Then there was the season I just left it there. It was peaceful until I got frustrated with that too. So on again and off again it has been. In His hands, out of His hands, back in His hands, back out. Ugh. Know the feeling?
I think we'd all admit waiting is INCREDIBLY HARD. Whenever I have to wait on something or someone, I get really fidgety. I can't just stand around waiting, I feel like I have to do something! So what do I do?
I find myself doing stupid stuff. Or I find myself depressed and saddened about the situation. Or I find myself being idle and in denial. Or I go try to make something happen on my own. But it's when I find myself doing the two things that will actually get me somewhere is when I find progress.
It's when I worship and prepare that I find peace. It's when I look to God and say, "here you go" that I can trust Him to take it and do something with it. I know that if it is meant to be He'll make it happen. I lay down my desires and trust in His. Then, I prepare. I seek where He wants me and work where I feel called. Typically, it's to go back to my drawing board and tighten the loose holes.
It's kind of like Noah preparing for the flood. It took the man 140 years to build the ark for an event that had never happened before. These people had never seen rain. So, picture this older gentlemen building and building for an event that no one has ever heard of. Can you imagine the ridicule? The disbelief? What about his own doubts, fears, struggles? These aren't mentioned in the Bible, but since he was technically human, it seems like he'd face some of these.
But what do we find? We find this aged man striving in his belief in God, worshiping by preparing; continually chipping away at the ark, building it one wood log at a time.
So, if you struggle with a dream and are at the end (or way beyond the end) of your rope, just lay your dream down upon God's altar and see what happens. Some dreams may end there. Some dreams may begin there. Either which way, there is an acceptance of what God wants over what you want. This exchange is key, for it is the difference in striving against a dead end, versus peacefully and joyfully progressing through life. Continue to worship and prepare one wood log at a time and see where He leads you.
For it is only God who brings the rain. It maybe different how you imagine, but if it is meant to happen, it will happen. Rest in this acceptance and find the peace to persevere.
Content and First Photo © 2013 Candice Irion. All Rights Reserved.
* (Wright, J. Stafford. The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Vol. 5. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991.)
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