Photograph taken in 2001 @ Roaring Fork Trail // Smokey Mountains – Tennessee
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Photograph taken in 2001 @ a creek 10 minutes from my house in Cincinnati Ohio.
This isn’t just the Growing Pains theme song. This is the sovereignty of God. It’s the understanding that our human nature and our free will gets in the way of our own well-being at times, but that our God is on the move…working things out for our eventual good. “Eventual” is the part we struggle so much with. Having a belief in such sovereignty just might free us up to actually live and enjoy our lives.
Ryan,
I am not sure what brought you to this post today but I am brought to tears over it.
We got word last night that my husband is leaving for Iraq. And I was angry at God. Angry at this war. Angry because I didn’t/don’t understand it. and for reasons that maybe you will understand better than I seem too, your words today brought me some peace. Thank you.
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It’s an in-between time for me – knowing that, for some things in my life, the season has ended but feeling uncomfortable because I don’t know yet what the new seasons will bring. Thanks for the reminder that it’s OK for those things to coexist.
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I thought this was a Byrds song?
For me, right now? There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven.
Yesterday, I spent my lunch break under a shade tree (is the season for such activity). What an amazingly glorious, beautiful day–the church bells on the hill were tinkling a lovely hymn and it made me wonder how anyone can live with the absence of God.
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A bit of 4a and 6a… we’re in the adoption process, retrieving information today on potential foster care children to adopt. A lot of crying and laughing from what we’ve received so far. And a lot of searching and letting go, if not actually giving up. But verse one provides the hope: there is a time for everything in its season. Some day I will be a mother.
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This is being read at a memorial today at the church where I work….please read on through to vs. 14….
I appreciate what you have to share about your faith and God’s presence in our lives.
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For me I’m in a season of prayer and trusting. We know that the next 6 months are going to be a continuation of the roller-coaster we’re currently on, but after that we don’t know what will happen. Will we stay on for another ride, or will we hop off and try something different. My husband and I seem to be at odds on our vision and dreams for our future as well, so there is a lot of prayer happening. We’re seeking clarity, direction, patience, and understanding. We both want to be in the center of His will for our lives…so we continue to pray, trust, and wait patiently.
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What a timely post. I am sort of standing between two or three f those times, it seems, right now, it’s a time of waiting (for the birth of our 4th child) and a time of learning and trying to maintain and increase my faith, trusting that God provides. It’s not at all an easy time, but I have found that periods of testing/growth rarely are. So I am just trying to make the journey, and learn the lesson… thank you for your beautiful pictures and scriptures. You are so very encouraging.
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Beautiful post. “A time to search and a time to give up” resonates with me, as I am constantly fighting patience…and losing. I have to remind myself that it’s when you stop searching for something that you finally find it. Patience truly is a virtue…and one I’m trying desperately to adopt. Thanks so much the reminder
p.s. I love your site
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It’s a time to uproot.
We feel God leading us to my husband’s hometown to help start a church there. Our pastor’s wife prayed for a loosening of the roots so the transplant process would be easier.
And when we get there – it’ll be a time to plant.
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It is my time to dance!
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I don’t know how you do it (through the Internet, no doubt), but I’m with @libbie. If I’m ever in the Cincinnati area, I’m paying your church a visit.
I’m at the time I’ve always been – the time to release MY human nature and free will. God is moving in my life in spite of myself. I’m only getting in the way.
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Love this! Those pics are REALLY awesome! Beautiful, really.
Here is something along the same lines as “Eventual”
“Being at peace and being who you are, that is, being yourself, are one. The ego says: Maybe at some point in the future, I can be at peace – if this, that, or the other happens, or I obtain this or become that. Or it says: I can never be at peace because of something that happened in the past. Listen to people’s stories and they could all be entitled “Why I Cannot Be at Peace Now.” The ego doesn’t know that your only opportunity for being at peace IS now”. -Eckhart Tolle – A New Earth
Love that bit from the book! But still struggle with my ego. It’s a constant.
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I’ve been blessed to be at a time to listen, a time to observe, and a time to take action. I’ve seen some might things in the past 10 days… I’ve seen and experienced God in a very powerful and real way. I’ve opened myself up to His call. It’s a time of serious spiritual growth.
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in my life, its time to just enjoy. time to stop worrying; time to stop thinking I can plan every and anything and just let go and enjoy. you’ve always got the best reminders. thanks, ryan.
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I been blessed to learn, as I live here in isolation, to appreciate all the tiniest of wonders and the simplest of things that life offers. What a blessing it will be to be able to walk to a park and show my son what flowers look like in gardens. Maybe we’ll see ducks and he can feed them. Maybe he’ll see other kids his age and laugh with them. It’s all about the small things…
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It’s many times here. A time for peace, as my husband came home from his second tour in Iraq and we are finally getting to settle in. A time for birth, as God is blessing us with one of those infamous “homecoming babies” many months from now. Which also makes it a time to build, and a time to dance. And, if I may add one, a time for faithful prayer.
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Now is a time of both mourning and relief.
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It is a time for revolution in my life – a crossroads of who i am and who i have allowed myself to become. I am ready for a change, but unsure of the form it will take and whether i have the courage to not remain comfortable. It is a time of excitement and terror. It is a good time.
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This is where I am right now.
Three Keys to Change:
1. Trust that change will come.
Even if you feel trapped in the worst situation imaginable, don’t lose hope. Things will change. They have to. Change is a law of life.
2.Find a fan.
It should be someone who believes in you and sees you in the best possible light. You’re not alone. Look around. Just one person having faith in you can work wonders and help you close the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
3. Give yourself time.
We all underestimate how long it takes for change to happen. When we’re not transformed in a few weeks, we give up and give in. Have patience. In a few months, or even a few years, your life can be radically different.
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Healing
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After a death in my family this past spring, it’s been a time of mourning. But it’s also been a time of searching, of trying to process and find meaning in some of the experiences I’ve had the past few months. Grief sucks, but that doesn’t mean something useful can’t be pulled from it.
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How appropriate for this time. I have been waiting for my eventual trying not to worry what the future brings, but knowing it always works out for the best, sometimes even better. Taking one day at a time and enjoying the moments, knowing my eventual is here. Yes it’s hard and the mood swings don’t help-menopause needs to get over itself.
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It’s a time for all of these now for my husband and I. Our daughter is 17, a Senior, and our son is 10, just beginning to turn from a boy to a man. It is so wonderful to be present in this time!
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It is time to take stock of my marriage and decide what to do. It is a terrible thing to experience a dream dying.
It is time for me to trust.
It is time for me to find godly friends to advise based on scriptural principles.
On a lighter note:
It is time for my blog to have its first contest! That is the exciting thing for my day!
http://walkaschildren.blogspot.com/
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My mom just posted this on her blog, it’s been on my mind lately.
I think I’m in this weird in between time, trying to figure out what God wants me to do next. It’s not a bad place to be, it can just be frustrating.
The last picture is stunning, by the way.
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Thank you so much.
For making me smile, making me think, making me question things… and making ma realize that I have neglected the most important relationship too much lately. Thank you for showing me the way back to HIM.
for me, it is time to reflect, rethink and pray.
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For what it’s worth, that passages speaks volumes for me right now. Thanks for posting it. And, thanks for calling me the other day.
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I could say all kinds of important things like..
Time for God
Time for my family
Time for friends
Time to be grateful
Time to be silent
Time to reach out
Time to make peace
Time to reflect
Time to Say Thank You
Etc.. Etc… Etc..
But ..
If I am being totally honest..What I am really making time for is…
Time to Pay my bills
Time to do some shopping
Time to clean the house
Time to Change the oil
Time to drop off books
Time to run that errand
Cripe even Time to make the donuts ( I know I am dating myself with that one)
While list #2 seems to be taking priority..
Thank you for reminding me how important List # 1 is
: )
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Thanks for the wonderful reminder this morning! I should be waiting on God…..Not myself…. Love your site!
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I find more and more that I’m not afraid to mourn, to cry, to weep… but I’m afraid to laugh and dance.
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It’s time to wait. Not knowing what God wants from us…should we go? Should we stay? So we wait on God.
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Right now it’s time for me to move my family to Virginia, put my kids in school after five years of homeschooling, and work full-time, because we just can’t make ends meet anymore.
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Time to weep and a time to mourn. It is good to be reminded that time to laugh and dance will come again.
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I’m all about the love these days.
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This is my most favorite verse in the bible -
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A time to give up.
To stop believing (or wishing) I have control.
13 years of mourning, of dissecting this black cloud over my head and learn to let go and be happy and dance.
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Our family is currently at 3.
Please pray for my youngest son. He is 17 and mad at God and his parents. I hate being a mean mom, but I hate the evil that tries to steal my kids more!
He is grounded for six months. I hope that’s long enough to learn the lesson.
Thank you for reminding me that God’s timing is perfect, always. I’m trusting in Him.
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In my women’s group the other night, we talked about silence and how hard it is to be silent and listen for God. I think it’s my time to be silent. I think it’s way past my time to be silent, but I want to start now.
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a season of letting go of my captivity.
a season of being uncomfortable with my newfound freedom.
a season of grieving over the years i spent in a prison of my own making.
a season of acknowledging the hurt i’ve caused myself and those who love me.
a season of discovering how deep, how wide, how great is the love of God for me.
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you know how sometimes certain words kinda become your banner, your rallying cry, your catch-phrase for a little while? patience is mine right now. a few days ago, someone posted that james quote about patience doing its perfect work… now this posting about everything in its time… and you hit the nail right on the head — it’s the “eventual” part that, while appearing simple, is the hardest part of our human existence. this is my time to learn more patience, to accept God’s timing, not my own, to learn to trust that He has gone before me and smoothed my path, that He walks behind me to guide me onto that path, and that He walks beside me to strengthen me as a I trudge forward.
Thankyou Ryan!
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Written by king Solomon, the most smart man on earth..
Love the first photo.
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It’s time for me to set my negativity aside. It’s not attractive, it makes me feel poorly, and negative feelings yield negative results.
Today is the day thanks to you.
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A time to love. and a time to wed! My wedding is just 7 weeks from today and i wish it were sooner!
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a time of decision making for me… and sticking to my guns
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