In His Time: Temper Tantrums and Sunshine

"He has made everything beautiful in its time." 

Ecclesiastes 3:11 NASB

"When I be big, I drink Coke! When I be big, I get things in my eaws wike Sissy! When I be big, I go to camp too! When I be big, I cwimb on those big high things (bleachers)!" It's an ongoing dialogue. Lately all my littlest one thinks about is what she can do when she is bigger. Bless her heart. 

She longs to do the things that her big sister does. She beams with pride when she accomplishes something she couldn't do the day before. And she runs to tell me, "Wook Mom!!!" Even though I have been in this stage twice before, it is beautiful to watch her grow.  It just makes my heart smile to hear her say, "Is you wike it???!!!" when she draws me a "pitcher." It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of this little miracle.

It is also frustrating as mess some days.

"Get. Me. My. Cup!!!! Come here! Read this!"

"No, Mom! I not wike it! You are weird Mom! (say what????)" 

And then I remember Ecclesiastes 3:11. 

For you 80's kiddos, you may remember Salty the Singing Song Book and his classic, "In His Time." I sing it to my babies when they go to sleep. More as a reminder for me than for them. It says:

In Your time,

In Your time,

You makes all things beautiful,

In Your time.

Lord please show me every day,

As You're teaching me Your way,

That you do just what you say,

In Your Time.

The Lord is kind enough to bring me back to a time when I wanted to "be big." He opens my eyes to see how He is still working on me to make me beautiful, in His time. And how He will continue doing the same for my babies.

He reminds me what it felt like to want the next best thing. 

And it turns out it wasn't very long ago...like last week. In high school, I wanted to go to college and be "grown up." After a bit of college, I wanted to get married. After I got married, I wanted a baby...you get the picture. There have been few seasons in my life where I have truly been content in the moment and not looking ahead to the "next thing." 

There are people and situations in my life I am praying for. I want answers. I want resolution. I want healing. And the Lord keeps telling me, "My Time." And that can be so hard.

But because of His grace and mercy with my impatience, I can give the same to those in my life.

I can empathize with the plight of my little one trying to keep up. I can love her through her growing pains. I can look on her with sympathetic eyes when she cries in frustration over something she just can't do yet. 

And more than anything, I can remind her that the Lord is not done with her...
or me. 

Every second of every minute of every day, He is working to make us more beautiful in His sight. And sometimes that means temper tantrums and ugly words. Sometimes it may mean joy and sunshine. But whatever the circumstance, He reminds us there is a time for everything. And His timing is not our own. 

So whether it's a little one in your life...or something you are going through yourself, give it His time. 

Stop looking at the clock. 

Stop looking at the calendar. 

And set yourself up on "trust time."

Trust the Lord to lead you and guide you and comfort you and teach you and hold you in this moment. He was there when it began, and He knows how it's going to end. 

"...No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined 

what God has prepared for those who love him."

1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT