YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL (Just not all at once)

My pantry holds an assortment of yummy treats just waiting to fill my grandbabies tummies.  One of the favorite treats of the younger grandkids is Fruit Snacks.  For you who may not know, a fruit snack is a small packet of different colored gummy candies in the shape of a favorite cartoon or Disney character.  For some reason, it seems that is impossible to eat and chew just one of the gummies at a time.  No matter how often I say “just one,” every one of my grandkids has looked at me with their mouth stuffed full of gummies until their cheeks bulge and chewing is impossible.   It isn’t as if someone is going to snatch one or there is a timer set with a limited amount of time for finishing.  I often think of how much more enjoyment they would get if they would learn to savor each candy.  You can have it all, just not all at once.

I was fortunate to come of age at a time when it was still acceptable for women to be stay-at-home moms and being a homemaker WAS a career choice.  As the 1990’s approached, women were made to feel as if choosing to stay home to take care of your kids and make a comfortable home was only for the “dummies” who couldn’t do anything else.  I watched many of these women juggle careers, children, husbands, leisure time and social obligations; trying to HAVE IT ALL!!!  Instead of savoring every moment and enjoying different seasons in their life, they became depressed and stressed out because they were cramming too much into a small 24 hour space.  I wanted to tell them, “You can have it all, just not all at once.”

Oh there are many sacrifices to make, priorities to set and choices that are difficult but don’t fool yourself, the one trying to have it all is also setting priorities, making choices and something is always being sacrificed.  Thinking back over some of the sacrifices that allowed me to be the stay-at-home Mom that was there when the kids came busting in the house after an exciting day at school.  The wife that always had a hot cooked meal waiting when Steve came in, tired from a long day at work.  Making sure there were clean clothes in the closet, toilet paper in the bathrooms and juggling the budget, stretching the money to cover the necessities was as much of a challenge as any CEO of a company faced.  I forfeited new cars, perfectly decorated homes, gourmet restaurant meals and designer clothes; they would come and I would enjoy, just not all at the same time.  The kids finally grew up and I finally received my degree and finally started a corporate career.  Now, once again, I find myself a stay-at-home Grandma and a homemaker by choice.  Looking back over my life, I can say, “I have had it all, just not all at once.”

In our walk with God, we have dreams and ambitions; there are so many things we want God to accomplish through us.  There are gifts to be desired, aspirations of ministry and positions,  people to touch and souls to win.  Too many times, instead of allowing God to work through us we go full-throttle, packing every moment full of “working for God.”  When our mouth becomes so stuffed we can’t chew, we finally choke and wonder why God has left us gasping for air.  PATIENCE, God will give you everything He has planned for you, just not all at once.

At the present time, you may be in the “waiting mode” or maybe you are “tugging at the bit” desiring to rush into the calling you feel in your spirit.  STOP!!! Savor the moment you are in.  God is working out the last few details and when the time is right you will step into your next season.  One thing I have learned is “when we find contentment in the present season, fulfillment will await you in the next season.  Stop stuffing all the gummies into your bulging cheeks; YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL, just not all at once.