His Season

So we have reached the second half of April and I have my garden half planted. The Spring rains have been slamming us, which means that about 2 more weeks of sunshine and I'll be making hay (literally). Three days ago, I started my tractor (John Deere of course) to get my hay equipment hooked-up, when I noticed it was not running right. It died on me and I couldn't get it re-started! Do you know how hard it is to get a tractor worked on 2 weeks before hay season? Not to mention how expensive!! I can't just tell the hay to wait. You know what they say, "You have to make hay while the sun shines."

In verse 3 of Titus It talks about a season. It says, "At His appointed season He brought His word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior." Have you ever reached out to someone for Christ and they just say "no thanks". I have. I remember sharing the love of Christ with one teen 6 different times. I felt like God was giving me the words and clear thoughts and that no one had ever done a better job than I did with this teen. So my heart was just pounding everytime I asked her, "Do you want to receive Jesus as your personal Saviour?" And she would politely say, "No thanks." AAAAHHH!!! What did I do wrong? What could I have done different? It must have been my fault somehow. But no! Paul tells us that His word comes to light at His appointed season. When God says it's time; It is time. Just like the fact that I don't get to decide when it is hay season, but I can be ready for it (Lord willing and the tractor gets fixed). I really struggled with the rejection I got from that Teen. To this day I carry her picture in my Bible.

God doesn't expect me to save anyone. He doesn't expect me to change anyone. The only thing "entrusted to me" (or expected of me) is the preaching. Titus wanted so bad to change these people, because he cared about them, but Paul lets him know that ain't his gig. Imagine how hard it was for him to constantly share with these people of Crete and to constantly see then messing up. But if we just do what God has given us to do and let Him do the rest; it always turns out better.

About 4 years after my last time of sharing with that teen someone told me that she married a pastor. God is Good and now that picture that I carry has a whole different meaning to me. After all Paul did tell Timothy to be ready (to share) in season and out of season (2 Tim 4:2). I pray that all your equipment is ready when the Son does Shine. I don't know about you, but I'm going to work on my tractor!