Could we please stick to the schedule?

Many of us need a routine . . . a schedule . . . a timeline. I will never forget being on the mission field in Albania for 3 months, and every single day the same person would come in and say, "what's the program?".

Even the spontaneous type of personalities, if they look hard enough, will find set patterns and expectations in their lives. We are human beings, we have a limited earthly existence, Our lives are structure, organised and governed by time. We all have a watch to keep track of time. We all have set hours we work, meetings schedule for set times. Times we eat, times we sleep. We set a time to meet friends or go to church. We continously check our phones not just for our social updates but to see what time it is. We have weekly planners and monthly planners and yearly planners. Everything runs on a schedule.

We set goals and projects etc and have a timeline of what should happen when, and when it should be completed. We use these to assess growth and progress. We almost use it to measure success. I work for a doctor and we deal with a lot of pregnancies. There is a timeline, that becomes all consuming to the parents to be for the next 40 weeks [ give or take]. Where there are check ins on the time line to monitor the growth of the fetus and the health of the pregnancy. Most of these parents are tracking an almost minute by minute timeline on apps on their technology of choice. its almost all consuming. And some carry those timelines and apps further once baby arrives, tracking feeding times, sleeping times, pooping times, growth etc. its like they are scheduling life. literally.

But here is the proverbial spanner in the works. . . . are you ready for this???? . . ..

GOD IS OUTSIDE OF TIME AND NOT GOVERNED BY TIME!

Man, now that turns it all on its head doesn't it? a people governed by time learning to be governed by a God who is outside of time, whilst trying to grasp that we are actually eternal beings destined for more than just these years on earth.

Psalm 144:4
I wonder why you care, God—
    why do you bother with us at all?
All we are is a puff of air;
    we’re like shadows in a campfire.

but eternity is still waiting.

So be patient in hoping and waiting, Trust God [who is above time] to be one time, according to his perfect will. Keep in step with the Spirit, don't try run or push yourself ahead or let discouragement drag you behind. But also be patient with others and what God is doing in their lives, don't try make them fit the earthly timeline. We don't know how long grief or illness or answers to prayer or open doors etc take. We don't. We can't see the future and beyond. So we can't push ourselves or others into those time constraints or create a schedule for it. We need to let go of the shackles of time, as hard is it is because we are so bombarded with it, daily. We need to trust in the one who is Omnipotent. He can change things in an instant but sometimes a day will be like a thousand years. Don't loose heart. He has got this.