Pray Before You Pick

I've been adulting so well this year! You know, remembering to do personal things on time like renewing my registration and getting my taxes done before April...so very proud of myself! Yet, there's one thing I have yet to master. I go to the grocery store about 3 times a week (don't judge me, k? k.) and each time I pick up about 2 avocados. After becoming a grocery shopping guru, you would think I've learned to discern which ones are ripe...but it seems it's always hit or miss. Either they're no where near ripe, or one day away from being rotten. Each time I am left with the same feeling of frustration when I get home.

Why can't I pick the right one at the right time? Why is it so hard to assess which one is ripe for that day? We'll get back to that...

I've learned through the word that God operates in seasons. Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that to everything there is a season, a specific time for specific activity.  That means there is a point in life where certain things are ripe for the picking. Those things in that season are equipped for fruit from your activity and attention toward them. Being in season, means in that time you have the opportunity for maximum capacity from that specific thing.

But so many of us operate out of season. With our hearts being a garden filled with seeds of potential and possibility, we have so many options to devote our precious time, energy and activity. But like my avocados, we choose the wrong one. Sometimes electing to focus on a dream or vision that hasn't quite reached full maturity, or electing an option that died in a season past and needs to be re-cultivated before it can even be touched.

We tend to water seeds that are not intended to grow in this season and neglect the ones that seemingly have potential to thrive during this time.

How does that happen? Well, with my avocados I found that I was picking based on how it looked. I figured if it was a deeper green that meant it was ready. Sometimes that's the way we choose to focus our attention during a season; based on what it looks like. We give attention to the thing that seems as though it will yield the most happiness, money and take us further in life. But that doesn't work.

Even a plant that is out of season will begin to grow if you water it. But it won't grow for very long. It will hit a plateau and wither away as quickly as it sprouted.

I found out the process to assess the ripeness of the avocado was by feeling the inside with the palms of your hands. Could it be that the way to assess what you should be focusing on in this season is the same? To really allow the spirit to lead and guide you through the palms of your hands? I'm talking about prayer! How is it that we so often make decisions about what to focus on and never think to consult God on what is "in season" for our lives at this moment. We focus on things that are not ready for our attention or waste time on things we should have focused on last season and God is able to tell us exactly what's ready right now!

Every good thing is not good in this moment. That's the frustrating part. You can be doing a really good thing at the wrong time and that actually makes it the wrong thing. Unripe fruit is just as bad as rotten fruit. Why? Because, either way the substance will never be able to fulfill you. It is void of nutrients and lacks what you intended to receive.

Timing is totally God's job but he makes known the time and the season through the Holy Spirit, sometimes we're just not listening. Before you set out starting a business, beginning relationship or formatting a plan see what has the potential to thrive through a conversation with God. Pray Before You Pick.