Embracing the “Not Yet”

A reflection of Psalm 23:1-4 (NLT)

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.”

Like the sheep that trust their shepherd to guide them through the hills, lead them to the meadows where they can eat, and protect them from the predators, so is God the good shepherd of our lives.

He provides us with all that we need for this season of our life. He won’t lead us where He’s not present. You may not have the best job you wish you did; you may not even have a job at all! You may not be where you want to be right now in regards to your career choice, your dreams or relationships, but in this season of “not yet” you can rest assure you have all you need because God Almighty is with you and his presence in your life is truly all you need.

Instead of complaining or being dissatisfied with our current position in life, we should be thankful that God let’s us rest from the cries of a broken hurting world. Don’t get me wrong, our world desperately needs us to rise up and be effective catalysts of change! But when God has us resting in “green meadows” it’s because He is working in us, equipping us and preparing us for the difficult yet God glorifying work that is ahead.

My mentor once told me God sometimes withholds His greatest blessing from us because we aren’t ready to handle the magnitude of its greatness. Take a few minutes to ponder on that.

That job you so passionately desire to obtain, well maybe you’re not ready for it yet. You still have some leadership qualities to learn or other basic skills most people over look, but once you acquire those skills, then you’ll be ready to conquer what has been yours since the beginning!

Learn to embrace the “not yet” by resting in this season of preparation. There will be times in which you will get frustrated, upset, and even aggravated with God and your current circumstances.

Let me just pause and whisper to you, “It’s ok to feel that way.” You’re only human; it’s going to happen. However, part of embracing the “not yet” means allowing God to lead you beside peaceful streams when you experience frustration, anger, and solitude.

What does that look like? Well, allowing God to lead us beside peaceful streams means trusting Him. Trust that’s it! One simple word yet difficult to do sometimes because we are human and humans want everything fast.

Have you been rushed before? If you have, you know it’s not a pleasant feeling. December of 2016 I was blessed with the opportunity to visit the wonderful island of Puerto Rico. My flight from Puerto Rico do Dallas got delayed, so when my flight arrived in Dallas I had a 30 minute gap between where I was and where I needed to be for my next flight.

If you’ve taken a flight from DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) international airport, you know it’s not a small airport and shuttles are required to reach your destination.

When I got off my flight from Puerto Rico I remember being very hungry. My initial thought was NOT “I have 30 minutes to get to my next flight, I better hurry!” Instead, my thought was, “I have 30 minutes to get me some food.”

As I walked in search of food, I realized I was in the “Gate A” section of the airport. I looked down at my flight ticket and read “Gate F.” I needed to be in gate F within the next 20 minutes or I was going to miss my flight! Without hesitation, I quickly made my way to the shuttle and forgot about my hunger.

Fear and worry consumed me as I waited on the escalator. Those who know me well can testify I easily go into panic mode. Anyway, I finally got to my destination and literally went straight into the airplane. Waiting was not necessary because I was already late. I sat in my seat trying to catch my breath. “Thank you Jesus,” I whispered.

If I hadn’t wondered off searching for food, I probably wouldn’t have panicked, and although it was a short time frame to get to my next flight, I wouldn’t have felt rushed to get there because my focus would have been on reaching my destination and not food.

I share this story in hope that you would understand that what we focus on has the potential to distract us or assure us of our destination. Part of embracing the “not yet” in our life means focusing on things that will guide us and strengthen us while enjoying the journey to what we hope to obtain or accomplish in the future.

Things are lining up for you while you embrace the “not yet.” Trust, believe, give thanks, and have faith!

Always remember,

He Allows (sometimes we must go through the fire in order to be ready for the blessing)

He Leads (no matter how desperate you feel, God is leading you in the most random way)

He Restores (God will restore the time of investment in yourself through your blessing)

He Guides (when you astray from His will for you, God has a way of guiding you back)