Seize: to attack or overwhelm physically; to possess (as one's mind) completely or overwhelmingly
We hear it all the time. Seize the day, take advantage of your time, take in the moment, it's the little things that count, etc. but we, or maybe it's just me, often find ourselves saying "I can't wait for...." or "I wish this would hurry up and get here already" or even literally counting down the days until an event. I have thought similar thoughts such as these almost everyday for the past eight months of my life and now that the day is almost here, I can't help but feel some regret. While it is normal and perfectly fine to feel excited for something and wish that it would hurry up, we must be careful not to let it consume our thoughts and prevent us from, well, seizing the day. Often times it is easy to feel like we are in a waiting room or an idle period of our lives. I have felt like there have been many waiting rooms in my life and they have frustrated me. Why can't things just start now? Why must I wait for an exciting event to take place in my life? It wasn't until last Sunday I finally found some peace on the subject.
You woke up this morning, right? I'm assuming the answer is yes since you're reading this (if anyone even does read this). That wasn't by luck you got out of bed this morning. God permitted you to wake up because He is not done with you yet. You woke up this morning for a reason, for GOD's reason. God has a plan for us. We will never ever know His plan or be able to predict it, but by the simple act of allowing us to wake up today, we do know that right now at this very second we are living out His plan for us.
A few months ago when you were waiting to hear if you got accepted into that college and it seemed like your future was kind of put on pause, God was working in your heart and in your situation according to His plan for your life.
When you are waiting and counting down the days until Christmas break or summer, God is doing big things and working His grace, love, and mercy into your everyday.
Our waiting rooms are often God's most productive working rooms.
I have 35 days left in this country with my family and friends. Countless days I have woken up and thought "Gosh I can't wait for January 3rd so the great plan God has for my life can begin" or other similar thoughts. I downloaded an app on my phone called "Countdown" that counts down the days, hours, minutes, and even seconds until 12:45 pm January 3rd when I get on my plane to Conakry. Last Sunday when I had my realization, I felt so convicted. I was treating these past few months as idle time in God's plan for my life. Although I believe God created people and this earth to share and show the love He and His son have shown us to others and I will be aggressively doing that in Guinea in accordance with His plan, God didn't put me here at Appalachian State University for five months because He didn't know what else to do with me until January. He didn't put me in a waiting room and say "Hang on Emily, just wait here until you can start living out your purpose on this earth". No, He put me where I am for His reason. God is never idle. He is always working, it just may take time to see the results of His works, if we ever even actually physically see them. He has a plan for me here and just wants me to be still and let Him work through me. I have wasted so much time not taking advantage of each day and trying to rush things. I have disobeyed God's Word and not trusted in His timing. I didn't find His purpose in the place I was. By the grace of God, I have realized this and now instead of wishing the next 35 days would fly by so I can finally live out the plan God has for me, I can seize the day and find His purpose in each day.
God is completely sovereign
God is infinite in wisdom
God is perfect in love
He's got this.
It's so frustrating feeling like you are waiting on the next best thing or for your life to start, but trust in our all knowing, all seeing, good, compassionate, loving, and faithful Father that you aren't. Your next best thing is today, right now, this second. It starts from the time you wake up until the second you fall asleep then it repeats. Take your walk with God day by day, appreciate each moment, cherish everyone and seize the day.
