The Time Is Now

I love the Autumn season and how things change so gradually, but yet so dramatically. The leaves don’t change color all at once, but rather over time, they change to splendid shades of green, yellow, orange, red, and brown. Neither do they fall all at once, instead falling sporadically over time. Little by little exposing the crooked, knotted branches they once clung to. Soon the leaves will cover the ground underneath and line the gutters above. Although the rain washes away some of the debris, for everything to function as it should and look clean and refreshed, we must begin the tedious job of cleaning out the gutters, raking leaves, and disposing of them. It's one of those jobs that many people tend to leave until the last minute. But leaving things for later can end up costing you more than you bargained for. Clogged gutters can prevent drainage and will damage the gutter and cause water overflow. This can result in roof damage and that can cause leakage into your home, which seeps into walls down into the basement and eventually damages the foundation. Neglecting your gutters can result in the destruction of your home from top to bottom. Not raking the leaves in a timely manner has repercussions as well. Wet moldy leaves suffocate your lawn, preventing it from obtaining vital nutrients from the sun, and pose a risk of fungus and disease growth that could kill the grass and invite unwanted pests. Not to mention the fact that raking the now huge piles of wet and rotting leaves will be much harder work than it would have been had it been done early and consistently. The time to clean up, organize, and refresh is now, while the job is manageable and destruction is preventable. It takes some work on our part, but the results are worth it. 

The Autumn months remind me of some changes I recently made in my life and how God continues to leave me in awe. I tend to want big and immediate changes with great results. Just thinking about the effort it would take seemed exhausting, and so I usually ended up procrastinating. Sometimes I would get so caught up with work, school, and entertainment that I would fail to prioritize my time. Still, I truly desired a deeper and closer relationship with God, and I wanted to consecrate myself on a deeper level. God knew my heart's desire and He set steps in motion toward an amazing path of doing something I love, teaching. I came across a prayer pattern that I tried and enjoyed so much that I wanted to share the technique with some friends. What was supposed to be just a one-time evening of sharing evolved into three friends forming a closer friendship and a ‘spiritual support group’ still going strong two years later! We pray and fast together. We read the Bible and listen to preaching together. We confide in each other and pray for each other. We encourage and challenge each other to do more, be better, and draw closer to God.

Along the way, my Bible reading became more intentional and I started writing things down more often, and I would study and research scriptures for better understanding. I’ve also been more deliberate with my prayer life. Staying focused on my time with Him and shutting everything else out. As well as ensuring that my worship, praise, and gratitude to God is my priority over just making requests. And right now I’m working on prioritizing my time, with the goal of not wasting time on impractical things and instead using my time to write lessons and studies as I learn more about God.

My love and gratitude for God have deepened as well as my appreciation for the wisdom and knowledge I find in His word. God showed me that cleaning up, organizing, and refreshing my spiritual life can be done gradually. As I began the process, little by little things were exposed that at one time were not an issue, but have slowly ‘clogged’ up my time and mind with frivolous things, such as social media. I needed to tackle the small things before they became huge issues that would be destructive to my spiritual life. I realized that making little changes over time would have huge and beneficial results. Although the results weren’t immediate, they have become ingrained into my lifestyle and mindset. The results have become who I am, rather than just what I do. It’s amazing to me how God had set things up, to fulfill my desire for a deeper and closer relationship with Him, as well as blessing me with supportive close friendships that I cherish.

I have learned that now is the time for discipline, later you may miss opportunities you can’t regain. Now is the time to learn, grow, and change, later life may take a turn in a different direction and you won’t know how to navigate it. Now is the time to hear, obey, and flourish, later you may have regrets you will have to deal with. Do what you can, as much as you can now, and later you will reap the abundance of benefits.

Psalm 37:4-6

Colossians 3:16

2 Timothy 2:15

Psalm 150:1-2, Psalm 34:1-4

2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 12:2

Romans 13:11