Some Things Take Time

Some things just take time to figure out. 

It took me most of my life to realize that most toasters are built so you can lift the toast out of them, so you don't have to dig down into it to pull the toast out. 

I know. It's mind-blowing. 

I also just recently learned how to make a proper chai tea latte, which means I can save a large sum of money because I no longer need to go to Starbucks to get one. 

These might seem simple, but I'm also learning that simple changes, minor adjustments, and ordinary revelations sometimes make the most impact over time.  

And sometimes, the simple things enable us to embrace bigger things more easily.  Let me explain.  

I feel like the older I get, the less I know, yet I also feel like some wisdom is creeping in despite everything I've done to prevent it.  

I am learning that there is a time for everything, and wisdom, knowledge, and understanding often come to us when we are ready to receive them, which is a mercy, truth be told. 

For example, my faith has grown, expanded, and been transformed over time.  I know that a younger version of me wouldn't have been able to handle that kind of change. 

I've also come to see the world differently and understand how complicated love can be and how vital grace is for me and everyone else.  There is no way I would have understood this even a decade ago. 

Thich Naht Hahn once wrote: 

Anything good needs time to ripen.  When enough conditions come together it brings about what has been latent in us for a long time. 

We are all works in progress, and none of us is anywhere near where we need to be in our journey toward fullness and wholeness as human beings.  If we are willing, however, we can be open to revelation and new understanding when they come to us.  

The Scripture has a phrase that describes the moment when God's timing is revealed in all of its wondrous beauty: "The fullness of time."  The Gospels describe many seminal moments in Jesus' life this way. 

There is a Greek word that encapsulates this idea: kairos. 

The meaning of kairos is wrapped up in the idea that God's timing is not our timing but always perfect.  As hard as this is for us to embrace, the truth of kairos is at the heart of everything I've been sharing. 

If we are patient with ourselves and have our eyes opened and hearts ready for transformation, we will, in good time, become who we are meant to be.  

May this be true for you and for me, and may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us now and always. Amen.