God's Timing ...or yours?

Recently I shared with the Church Board a devotional on the law of Timing. Bottom line – When is as important as What & Where. Doing a right thing may cause a resistance when the time is wrong. Right timing though makes a good decision even better. We sing “God will make thing beautiful in His time.” Ancient preacher Ecclesiastes wrote that “to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven, a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted….” Whole list of “timings” is supplied there (Eccl. 3:1-8)
It is difficult for us to know the time. When you read the story of Esther you hear an uncertainty at first in the words of her uncle Mordecai: “Who knows? Perhaps you have come for just such a time as this." (Esther 4:14) Ancient Israelites were blessed to have a special tribe, sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do (1^st Chronicles 12:32)
How well do you know the time of your life? An opportunity today might be the very reason and purpose of your whole life. Apostle Paul advises us to redeem the time in these wicked evil days. (Ephesians 5:16)
There are people who hibernate in the winter, daydream in the spring, vacation whole summer and then feel sorry in the fall. Others use winter to dream, plan, set goals, envision the year ahead. When the spring comes they go and plant, pay the price and risk all for the dream, cultivating it the whole summer. Such are richly rewarded when the harvest time comes.
Each person may be in a different season. Even in the nature seasons are not all the same length. They do come in sequence. But different crops may have different timing. Crops could be cultivated in several areas simultaneously, yet harvested at different times and different seasons. Jesus said to his disciples that there is always a time of harvest. There is always someone ready. (John 4:35)
A year ago when we had a meeting with those interested in evangelism and outreach we read a vision given to Ellen G. White September 29, 1886, some 120 years ago, (read it in Gospel Workers, p.136-139).
A large company went looking for berries. She began to gather the fruit near by, but very carefully, for fear of picking the green berries, which were so mingled with the ripe fruit that she could pick only one or two berries from a cluster. Some of the nice large berries had fallen to the ground, and were half consumed by worms and insects. She thought: "if this field had only been entered before, all this precious fruit might have been saved! But it is too late now.” She however, picked these from the ground, to see if there was any good in them. Even if the whole berry is spoiled, she would at least show the brethren what they might have found if they had not been too late. When the ripe were picked she went back to the same bushes to find that green were ripening too.
A simple parable, a straightforward vision – there is always people ripe for harvest. Do not hang up on those who are not ready. Work with those who are fully prepared by Holy Spirit to join the “bucket.” In time - the rest will ripen.
Where are you in your life? What is your timing? Are you winterizing for long hibernation? Or are you planting seeds of relationships and service for God’s Kingdom? Maybe you are working on a certain field waiting for the harvest? Remember – God has many different fields, and there is always someone ready to be harvested. Discover God’s timing and plans. Are you ready?