Cultivating Patience

Over the weekend I had to work a booth at a local home expo. Included among the freebies we were giving away were packets of flower seeds. While many people stopped to pick up one or more packets, several others were reluctant to take some home, citing the drought our area was experiencing. (Of course, on Saturday afternoon as the home expo wound up, the bottom fell out and we finally got a much-needed rainstorm...but I digress.)

For those who were hesitant to take seeds home with them, we reminded them that the seeds would keep over time, and that they could wait and plant them in the spring when (hopefully) rain would be in more regular supply. That did help sway those who were on the fence about it.

There was nothing wrong with the seeds, but the conditions were not necessarily ideal for planting them right now. A wise gardener knows when to plant, when to weed, when to transplant and when to dig up and start over again.

How often I forget this when it comes to waiting for something in my life. If I'm forced to wait, I begin to think that something is wrong with me, when in many cases it's simply a matter of timing. I've learned (and am still learning) that God's timing is always right and perfect. While I may think I'm ready to be "planted" somewhere, He may still be toiling the soil and waiting until the conditions are just right. He truly knows what is best for me, and when I wait patiently for Him, I can more readily see how He's working things out in just the right way, at just the right time.