Waiting for apple picking season: When waiting for God's timing seems like eternity

The best apples aren't necessarily the easiest to get to. Have you ever gone apple picking? Have you ever noticed how the brightest and juiciest looking apples usually require some thought to access? The apples on the ground are the easiest to pick up, but take a closer look... some are rotten and have worms in them. Some are mushy. A lot of them are picked up and thrown back down because you realize they're rotten...they're not right! They're the easy ones but not necessarily the best ones.

I recently went apple picking with a friend and I was walking down the aisles and aisles of apple trees, trying to pick the very best ones, I had a sweet moment with God. I've definitely faced my share of discouragement when it comes to dating; to say it's been a difficult road would be an understatement. Sure I've been on dates with guys, but none of these men were men that I could see myself with long term. None of them were men of God that I knew would honor Him and honor me in a way that I have dreamed of my entire life. 

As I was searching for the best apples in the bunch, I realized that like these apples, God has placed me on the top of the tree and it's going to take someone who is going to take the effort to climb to pick. Trust me sister, I understand it can feel mighty lonely up at the top of the tree when you see so many of your friends going off and getting married and starting families, but don't give in to the easy attention.

The easy attention is just that, easy. It's easy to entertain a guy who says all the romantic stuff. It's easy to go out on dates with the hot guy who's just looking for a fling. But you weren't called for the easy path, your path is so much more than that. 

God has his best saved for up top. He has placed you in a place that takes effort to get to. It takes effort, persistence and perseverance to reach the top of the tree...but these apples are untouched by the ground and the bugs that occupy it. These apples are ready to be picked, longing to be picked but are patiently waiting because they know that it'll be worth it one day. So don't sacrifice yourself and your self worth for the small bread crumbs a man might feed you to fall off the tree. Wait for the man who is going to put his heart into pursuing you honorably, selflessly and in a Godly manner. 

Twenty-Four Seven

“And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God” (NLT) Ecclesiastes 3:13

Every one of us gets 24 hours in a day, no more, no less. It doesn’t matter if you’re working or in school or in between jobs. It doesn’t matter if you’re struggling to make a living or if you’re living the dream- we each get the exact same amount of time: 24 hours, 1440 minutes, 86400 seconds. We never feel like we have enough time in the day to get XY and Z done, to make a difference, to give back, to donate, to volunteer, to get in shape, to call our parents back, to… the list could continue until I could no longer type. Why is it that some people are more successful than others to get things accomplished in a day, a week, a month, a year? Is it because they sleep more? Maybe they drink green tea. Or maybe it’s because they read more books in 5^th grade. Maybe they don’t sleep more than 2-hours a day. 

I don't have the answers but I do know that God grants us each the same amount of time every day, and it is our sole job to do what we do in that day to glorify Him. Whether that's sweeping up cheerios, cleaning toilets, gardening, studying or sitting at a computer all day; we can do what we do with a grateful heart, a sweet spirit and in a way that glorifies God. Recognize the gifts God has given to you and spend your day, your God-given day, to glorify God with those gifts.