“Mummy!!!!”…..she screamed! I jolted out of bed as I heard Baby T’s voice from my dreams. I ran into her room and met her sobbing; yet again the tooth fairy had visited her sister but not her.
“Please take out my tooth”, she said as she wept. She is only 3 years old, has a couple more years ahead before a visit from the tooth fairy and has watched her sister’s excitement repeatedly and could no longer hide the pain, she wanted her tooth out.
This reminded me so much of myself growing up, actually up until a few years ago. When I was a child, I was in a hurry for everything to happen so quickly. I was eager to lose my tooth, eager to start my period, to graduate high school, graduate university. It was all just constantly a race in my mind to move on to the next stage, I’m not sure how I managed to have enjoyed growing up.
This experience with Baby T is somewhat typical of many of us adults, how we want the next stage, progress, experience so badly we could sometimes miss enjoying the present phase.
When I had Princess T, I was so eager for her to grow up enough to start walking (she was actually such a fussy baby) and when she started walking, I couldn’t wait for her to start having conversations with me. I’m grateful for it now, so much that I’m writing about it but was there a need to be anxious/eager? The answer is No, it would have happened anyway. So I made sure to do it differently with a second child.
- Give yourself Time
We are living in a fast pace world now and everything has to happen NOW, it takes being intentional to slow yourself down. What are we really racing against ? Life is in stages and we all have to go through the process and our own experiences.
We all want to achieve financial independence before the age of 40 ( ever heard of FIRE…financial independence retire early), get married quickly and start a family, increase your company’s worth etc.
These are all good goals and I’m working towards some of them myself. But as ridiculous as it sounds for a 3year old to ask her tooth be taken out prematurely, that’s how a lot of us are living.
We want the end result without going through the process. Make yourself calm down. You will get there, it will happen and if it doesn’t happen, I want you to know it’s because you don’t need it.
As you work towards your goals and aspirations, give yourself time. A lot of it will happen but it has to be the right time.
Nothing comes as an accomplishment instantly. Success does not come overnight. Patience is the key! Grow up and be the tree; but remember it takes dry and wet seasons to become a fruit bearer, achiever and impact maker!
Israelmore Ayivor, The Great Hand Book of Quotes
- Trust the Process
I remember there are a few things I wanted to have and achieve a few years ago and looking back now, I’m glad I didn’t get them then. I needed pruning especially by the Holy Spirit to be ready when it does happen. Infact, it will be detrimental for many of us to have some of our requests now because we are not prepared to handle them, it could destroy us.
Take one step towards your goal and another and another and gradually, you will get them. Trust your own process and enjoy it while at it because when you’ve been through a stage, you’re never having it back.
If you’re building a company or raising a family, enjoy your days of little beginnings and be happy, things will get better but enjoy today. Be intentional about it.
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin
Zechariah 4 vs 10
On a facebook group I’m part of , a guy wrote how he missed the days he and his wife lived in a one-bedroom apartment and had only one car so one had to drop the other off on the way to work and be picked up. Now they can afford more convenience and have more space and he misses the closeness and dependence that stage gave them (life is all about perspectives)
- Enjoy your stage and be grateful for it
Enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going. This is something I’ve learnt and I’m most determined to do. I’m still in the early stages of my career as a doctor, I have a young and growing family and starting a small ministry and I’m determined to enjoy it daily. I don’t have the level of comfort I desire yet but I’m choosing daily to be grateful for what I have in my hands. I’m looking forward to my kids growing up and all that but they’re little now and I’m enjoying this stage (on most days at least).
I’m even enjoying this blog community knowing that we are growing and one day, I will have to employ people to respond to emails (hahhaha…). You get the gist!
- Be anxious for nothing
My best friend always tells me “Ronke, the things you’re worrying about now, will they be important in 2 years time or in 5 years?” She has said it so many times now that I find myself repeating it.
Last week, I was feeling anxious about something I’ve been praying about and going back to Luke 12 just really helped me calm down. I know it takes grace to be waiting on the Lord for something and not be anxious about it and I pray for that grace daily.
While waiting ‘in your own process’, ask for grace to wait and wait right. God will give it to you. On the days you’re feeling anxious, go the the word of God that mostly encourages you. We are all in this together but our God is more than enough.
- God has made all things beautiful in its time
He has made everything beautiful in its time
Ecclesiates 3 v 11
God has indeed made everything beautiful in ITS own time, not in our time. Remind yourself daily that as long as you’re a child of God, everything will happen in its own time for you.
I hope you’ve found this week’s blog helpful. Please like the post and share with your friends and on social media. If you’ve not yet subscribed, please scroll to the bottom of the page to subscribe.
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I leave you with the peace of God!
This is amazing Ronke, filled with wisdom and encouragement. May the Lord continue to grant us the Grace. Amen.
I enjoyed reading this. It brought back childhood memories. The acronym FIRE never heard that one before sounds so scary . T
“Those who wait on the Lord”… Renewal of strength, building of character and growth all happen in the ‘waiting’ phase, if only we can be patient. Thanks for sharing this.
Patience is a virtue almost sounds like a cliche but it is so true. We hurry for things to happen but as soon as they do, there’s often that feeling of “was that it?”. May we always find strength to wait on Gods timing for our lives. It’s always perfect. Thanks Ronke for the apt reminder 😁😁
God will give it to you. This stood out for me. God bless you Doc this helped strengthen my resolve to look up to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith. These past few weeks He’s been taking me through the need for waiting, the need for going through His process, the need for patience. It’s not a curse to wait so said a devotional I read. Sometimes it’s time for pruning to bear more fruits, sometimes it’s time for the seed to grow for a bountiful harvest and sometimes it’s not so clear why we should wait. But in it and through it all it will always be a blessing.
Thank you Dr Ronke, God inspire your heart for His glory and be your strength always.
So this was a necessary read. Thank you 😘😘
This came at the right time. Thank you.
My favourite post so far.
I really value the importance of embracing the moment because you do not realise just how far you have come, when you are always focused on where you are going.
And human nature always has us chasing the next stage over and over again.
Profound words filled with wisdom. More grace Ronke. True saying…..it’s very important to enjoy the moment( marriage, family, children, career, relationships, ) and present. We are always in a hurry to get into the future