It’s Not Too Late for God to Redeem the Time
I wear glasses – or rather, glasses wear me Lol. Basically, I can’t see very far without them. Anyhoo… I’d gone to my eye doctor for an exam and to order a new pair. After hours (it felt like it) of deliberation, I finally found a pair I wanted. I’m pretty particular. I like larger frames and due to a nickel allergy, I’m forced to only wear plastic ones, so I never seem to find many that fit my unstated requirements.
Okay, so they sent my order off and I got the message a couple of weeks later that my glasses were ready for pickup. I went in to try them on and pick them up. In the store, after a few adjustments, these frames fit perfectly. I’d worn them for a few days when they suddenly seemed to fit much looser than when I first got them. I wore them back to get some help and one of the attendants explained that the plastic frames stretch once the lenses are installed. Well, I knew that from wearing plastic frames for years, I also knew that it shouldn’t happen that quickly. She adjusted my frames and I went about my business.
A few more days passed, and my glasses were sliding down my nose again so, back to the eye doctor I went. Again, they adjusted my frames and sent me on my way. In the course of a month, I took this one pair of glasses in about five times. Now, I have been wearing glasses since I was in the third grade (yes, 3rd), so I know that this was excessive, no matter what explanations they gave.
The last time I went in, I was pretty fed up with the back and forth. The attendant asked me to hold a minute while she looked up my account. After a few minutes, she looks up at me and says, “Well, it’s two days past your 30-day return date, but I’ll let you exchange them.” Huh? I didn’t know that was an option – nobody told me. After I informed her of the non-information, she explained that I could pick a new frame in exchange for the problem frame.
Time Obeys God
Heeeyyyy y’all. I know you want to know what my point is… I can feel your wonder through my computer screen. After all the trouble with my glasses, I was able to exchange them, beyond the exchange date. The attendant was able to go into the system and override the fact that it was too late for an exchange.
I thought about how, in life, God gives us extensions, second chances, grace… God gives us the grace to meet deadlines that we’ve already missed. Geez… did you read that? Grace to meet deadlines that we’ve already missed. Had I not been able to trade in my glasses, I would have had to just deal with them. Yep, I would have worn them anyway. I would’ve been mad, but I would have worn them. Why? Because they cost too much not to.
So many of us have paid, what we consider, too large a price to give up what we have without a replacement. So, we just hold onto where we are out of frustration. We seem to have missed our ship to get us to better.
Well, what if I told you that WE serve a God who can grant you an extension and redeem the time you need to get there – even after everyone else said you wouldn’t?
So, What’s the Play Call?
I know we get behind in life and we miss our “exchange window”, but God is able to redeem the time that we may have lost. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Remember that God knows much better than we do. Yep, He does, even when we “seem” to be an expert in what’s going on. All the knowledge in the world can’t trump God. He has greater plans even when yours seem to have been ruined. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11
- Trust God. Often, we get into binds and miss opportunities because we are not completely leaning on God. It could be that you got nervous and missed out. It could be that you were overconfident in a thing and skipped out on what was actually for you. Whatever the reason, start now and trust God. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
- Accept God’s mercy. We can be our toughest critics and give God a million reasons why He shouldn’t give us another chance. Don’t count yourself out when God has put you in the game. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,” Ephesians 2:4
Today, I just really want you to know that God has the final say. Trust Him. Accept His mercy.
Stay cool this summer with a family-friendly sweet treat! These real food Tropical Smoothie Popsicles are homemade popsicles filled with nourishing mango, banana, and coconut milk with a splash of lime and just a touch of honey. Leave out the honey altogether if your fruit is super ripe!
Making popsicles at home is a great way to control the sugar and the quality of the ingredients. You can use simple, real food ingredients because let’s face it, I don’t think anyone needs any Red 40, maltodextrin, Glycerin, Blue1 or many of the additives in traditional store-bought popsicles.
Recently, God helped me to understand their behavior in a very practical way. I hate grocery shopping! I don’t know why – I just do. When I go to the store, I feel like I want to get as much as I can so that the groceries can last, and I won’t have to come back anytime soon.
God is saying 
One of the first things I’m asked when people find out I have five children is, “How do you do it?” Actually, God and my husband are the pillars that keep me standing from day-to-day. Having five children is a lot, and there are a lot of things to consider. But I can recall having my third child and really seeking God on how parenting would be possible. I was concerned with more than finances and material things. I wondered how I (as one person), would be able to mother them all equally.
As preachers of the Gospel, my husband and I refuse to preach to others and the souls of our own children lack. They are the first members of our church.
When you do not have 
The problem is that most people undervalue the 
Small steps 
We are people of a diverse world. Human and influential. We are imperfect. With these things in mind, it is impossible for us to survive in this world without being affected by one another. The 
Like many events in our lives, the moments in which we have been influenced to make poor decisions are often learning experiences to mold the direction of future decisions. Being human, we are susceptible to blind spots which make us vulnerable to being influenced by ungodly actions. This is why the leading of the Holy Spirit is so important. Negative influence is often so subtle that it goes unnoticed and can easily entrap us. 
While we’d love to drink our milk and honey all day and enjoy the carefree streams of our Promised Land, we’ve got company. Enemies, in all shapes and colors.
