Solomon in the bible says "there is a season to everything", and God says, as long as the world remains, seed-time and harvest will remain. Therefore if we are to live well, and I'm not talking about prospering, but just having a progressing life, we have to understand and appreciate this concept. In my observation, life is sequential in this order;
a) Actualisation (Revelation)
b) Preparation (Sowing)
c) Incubation (Waiting)
d) Realisation (Reaping)
What's the problem then? God made everything good in it's essence, and functionality and operationality comes naturally. Therefore actualisation stage, or the understanding that we have to do something, or things can be processed into workable products, comes fairly easy. Boy John grows up and realise that riding a bicycle would probably be fun and decides to learn how to ride a bicycle.
God made man to dream and receive visions. If there's one thing every man, regardless of social strata or locale can do, it is to dream and hope. Thus, man in his mind, would jump from step A, actualisation, to desiring in his heart, step D, realisation. Although not in reality, his or her heart, and soon his or her mind, would linger on step D, ignoring step B and C. It seems there is an in-built understanding on the difficulty and attempt on escaping step B and C. Every child, with little or no exposure to the "Social", would whine and fight against Work. John thinks about riding the bike but hates falling down.
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick." Here's lies the problem. Without a full understanding and appreciation of "seed-time" and "harvest", people falter and give up. "My people perish because of ignorance." This is so true. "Giving up", can also be called "compromise", "back-sliding" or "choosing the narrow path." In every race, visualising the ending line or goal is tantamount to not only finishing the race, but more importantly in this context, staying on the race. John is faced with a choice, continue trying and risk the hurt of falling, or deciding riding a bicycle "is just not his thing."
The longest step in "seed-time and harvest" would most definitely be C, incubation. What about B, preparation? Sometimes step B is as long as step C, yet because there is work involved in step B, it doesn't seem as long. Step C is a time where the "farmer", that's you and me, steps back and allow nature to take its course. Its a time where you know, nothing you do can improve its growth, you can only hinder. It takes faith! It takes trust. This is where people falter and give up. Take detours to the "wider" path. It's tough, no one can deny. "Why so long?", "I don't deserve this," "I can't take it anymore," "Maybe a easier path would be better for me," "I could do without this, its not worth fighting for."
Waiting builds character. It is God's way of training his people. No army goes head-on to battle. I'm reminded of my time in police. It takes 2 weeks to plan an operation, 1 week to prepare, 1 week to wait for the guy to turn up, and 3 seconds to arrest him. What??? A month in exchange for 3 seconds? Yes. Fruits are hard to bear.
A wise farmer would use the waiting time to build up; to get more Revelation and to prepare for Realisation. Whatever situation you are in, don't give up. Recession is the best time for training. Tired is the best time to praise. A low love-bank is the best time to give. What's so great about giving in excess? An empty store-house is positioning itself for harvest. Lack builds hunger, space allows fire to burn, waiting cultivates patience and value is realised in absence.
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. - 1 Cor 9:24-25
Whatever situation you're in, I gotta be honest, no one on earth can and will ever fully understand. We can only empathise. But God understands. Don't give up! Don't give in!
Does John ride a bicycle?
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