The Encouragement Series - The Beauty of Time
more on timing, feeling behind & alignment
Another week, another newsletter, hi everyone!! I hope your week is going well so far. Before we get into today’s newsletter, catch up on the previous ones:
🗞️ Roundup of Lessons in Seasons
🔔 In Conversation with Lessons in Seasons is back! In case you missed it, we’ll be having another community event titled ‘Building Confidence From Within’ and it’s perfect for anyone who has been in a place of inaction. Join myself and two amazing guest speakers who will be sharing their journeys from utilising their gifts and talents, to transitioning and more. Get your tickets here!
🔔 Birthday giveaway: an author that has deeply impacted me this year, is Jumoke Adenowo. I’d love to gift someone on here a collection of her books. To enter, share a takeaway from todays newsletter that resonates with you, UK based only please. 🩷
💌 Rhieme Recommends: ‘How to Deal with Unanswered Prayers’ this is such a fantastic episode for anyone who is dealing with disappointment, unmet expectations etc!
As we round off the year, I’ve started this newsletter series for anyone who honestly needs some encouragement as the year closes. I pray these newsletters meet you where you are and for strength for those who might be weary. Enjoy reading. 💖
For those who prefer listening, listen below!
🎙️
The Beauty of Time: Can you See It?
This year something I had to come head to head with was timelines. In many ways I didn’t realise that I had taken on external markers on when I thought certain aspects of my life should unfold not realising, that this is truly not the case. It’s so easy to hinge our joy, our sense of purpose and meaning etc to when external things are happening for us. For example, finally getting your dream job, meeting your life partner, moving to another country etc. Whilst all these things are beautiful, our sense of fulfilment shouldn’t be hinged on external moments happening for us. Two newsletters ago, I spoke on how our years are not wasted because we don’t have physical fruit to attest to the growth that we have experienced and it is true. Sometimes, it’s easy to go on a non-ending hamster wheel of feeling like once we do x then x will happen to us. While there is a place for acknowledging that the decisions we make impact the results we see, there is also an aspect we often overlook and that is — divine timing, God’s timing.
I’m beginning to see time as such a beautiful thing and the more I reflect on timing, the more I realise, that the only marker of time I should be focused on, is being on time with God. By this I mean, staying in alignment with Him, and obeying Him per time and season. It is actually unfair to ourselves to look at the happening of others and internally blame ourselves for not seeing the manifestation of what others have in our own lives. There’s a difference between ‘kairos’ and ‘chronus’ and I’ll break it down.
‘chronos’ is a greek word, often used to describe pockets of time. For us this could look like the daily actions, preparation over a period of time we go through etc.
‘kairos’ also a greek word, is often used to described a set time, where the cumulation of the actions we have taken over time, all lead to a monumnetal moment. For example, your chronos time could look like writing a draft book for a number of years, and your kairos time could be being approached by a publisher, and then publishing that book, in a moment.
My point is, there is a time for everything. Don’t compare your sowing season, no matter how long, to the harvest of another, we have no idea the processes that person has gone through to now walk in the fruit we see in their lives.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 puts it beautifully:
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:”
When we’re not running the same race, why should we constantly feel behind because others are running theirs?
I want to remind you, that you are not a failure, or behind because promises, ideas, dreams etc have not come into fruition just yet for you but have for others. Each of us have a unique story carved out by God, and I’m beginning to see true fulfilment being derived from being in step with every chapter that is unfolding. Not looking to the left or to the right, but simply staying in alignment and focusing on my own journey. I want to encourage you to do the same, walk at the pace set out for you and don’t run on a race that was never yours.
Time is beautiful. It may not always feel good when we’re in the messy middle — waiting for a new season to unfold but do you realise your season can change mentally before you see the physical fruit? We may even begin to see the physical manifestations of new dawns, yet our mindsets can be fixated on what was, rather than what is.
There are many things I thought I was ready for, but in hindsight if I received my answered prayers then, I most likely could have sabotaged the beautiful gift God always had ready for me. As we wrap up this newsletter, I want to encourage you to see the beauty of the time you have today. I know you may feel as though others are going ahead of you, or you’ve been repeatedly in a season that appears static, but remember this — this is a period of time, seasons change and so will yours. You can enjoy the present moment to its fullest, whilst anticipating what is to come.
As always I hope this met you where you are! In case you missed it, we’ll be having an online event, limited tickets are available, get yours here. Looking forward to connecting with you all. The giveaway is still on, so share any takeaways below. See you next week. 💗
Share with someone who may need this!
Love,
Rhieme