The Problem wasn’t the water

Happy Monday to our CFC Family!

For those of you who don't know, over the last little while, I've been building a small pond in my backyard. Ever since I saw one at my uncle's house as a child, I thought it would be neat to have one of my own. The idea of bringing a little piece of nature into your own backyard always appealed to me, and now it seemed to be the right time to finally do it.

So back in early spring, I started digging the hole. A job that I thought would never get done! To be honest, if I had known how much dirt needed to be removed just to create a small pond, I probably would have had second thoughts! Nevertheless, I didn’t give up and the hole was eventually dug!

The next step was gathering everything I needed: a sub-liner, pond liner, pump, a filter and a whole bunch of rocks.

And while I was collecting these materials, suddenly out of nowhere Manitoba decided to have some of the heaviest rainfall we had seen in quite some time. One night alone brought over 60 millimetres of rain to Winnipeg and guess where a much of water in my backyard ended up? Yup, right there in that big hole I had just dug for the pond.

Instead of building the pond, I now found myself pumping water out of it. And since it continued to rain on and off for several days afterwards, I had to repeat this frustrating task over and over again!

On one of those wet afternoons, as I stood there covered in mud, staring at that sorry looking hole in the ground, I began to consider the irony of what I was doing. I was pumping out the very thing that I would eventually need to fill it with: Water!

After all, a pond is supposed to hold water, but the problem was not the water itself. The problem was the timing. The pond was not ready for it yet.

As I reflected on this, I thought about how often the same thing happens in our lives. Many of our frustrations do not come from pursuing the wrong things. Sometimes they come from pursuing the right things at the wrong time.

We see this happen in relationships, careers, major purchases, ministry opportunities, and countless other decisions. The desire itself may not be wrong. The goal may even be good. The issue is that the foundation has not yet been prepared.

In Ecclesiastes 3:1 King Solomon reminds us, "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven."

And in Proverbs 14:12, Solomon also says; "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end it leads to destruction.”

God's wisdom is not only found in knowing what to do, but also in knowing when to do it.

Too often, we become impatient. We want answers; opportunities and results now, not later! And when things do not happen according to our schedule, we try to force them.

Yet many times God is already working on our behalf. He may be preparing circumstances, developing our character, teaching us patience, or putting the right pieces into place.

My muddy hole in the ground became a reminder that God's timing is often just as important as His provision. The water was not the problem. In fact, water was essential to the final vision. But because it arrived before the liner, rocks, and pump were in place, it created frustration instead of fulfillment.

In the end, I got my pond completed. During this past week, I took some time off and dedicated much of it to finally finishing the project. It is still not quite done. There are a few details left to take care of, but the majority of the hard work is behind me.

Now when the rain comes, I no longer see it as a problem. The very thing that once seemed like an obstacle is now helping the pond become what it was designed to be.

Perhaps that is true in our lives as well. Sometimes what feels like a delay is actually God preparing us for what lies ahead. The blessing itself may not be the problem. The timing may be.

When we trust God's timing instead of forcing our own, we often discover that His plans unfold far better than anything we could have arranged ourselves.

So let me leave you with this Question:

Is there an area of your life where you are trying to rush ahead of God when perhaps He is simply asking you to trust Him and wait for the right season?

Have a great week and we’ll see you Sunday!

Pastor Dan