In Time

It is not always about our convenient time. Sometimes it is about the proper and right time of nature. And all the time, it is about God’s perfect timing.

There’s a time for everything under heaven, a wisdom in the Bible goes.

We know it is true. But sometimes we try to forget it or neglect it or deny it, just for us to pursue what we want or to put off something we need to do.

 

Time can be viewed from various perspectives.

Like one may say, “Wait for the right time, patience is a virtue.” And one would retort, “But time is gold.”

However we view time, one thing is sure—time makes things sweeter and better.

An orange fruit can be sweet when it is eaten when it is ripe. We may choose to (a) harvest it when it gets big but still yellow-green and wait for it to ripen before we eat it; or (b) wait for it to freely fall off the tree, when it is naturally ripe.

In either circumstance, the fruit will naturally ripen on its own and it has its own time to mature and get sweet—our part is just to wait. Or for a third circumstance, we can also (c) pick it the moment we get excited seeing the green young fruit. In this case, the fruit is still sour and bitter, and is not filled with its natural nutrients.

Many of our circumstances in life is like this orange fruit, may it be a relationship with family members, with friends, with colleagues, or even with strangers.

In order to taste the natural sweetness of this beautiful life, all we need is just the right timing. Waiting for the right timing does not necessarily mean you have to sit still or just hover around. Right timing is your capacity to prepare yourself, train yourself, sharpen your skills, or purify your intentions while waiting for that moment to hit the target. Simply put, you don't just force nature to adjust for your convenience; instead, you dance with nature

Right timing does not mean stagnation. While you wait for one thing; you instantaneously equip yourself to be ready to receive or achieve that thing you are waiting for and you enjoy the other facets of your life. This is why timing is an art and discipline.

Your time frame depends on your purpose and acceptance of the situation, so either you:

           a.    grab the lurking potential opportunity and work around it—which is of course risky for some endeavors; or

     b.    wait a little bit more for the sure mature time

The third circumstance of (c) taking action without waiting and contemplation is a sure way to waste many opportunities—of growth, of new relationship, of new business.

You may have lost sight or courage to wait a minute more or go an extra step and you may have felt tired, wounded, or fed up of waiting... remember, a forest that has suffered and has been exploited heals itself on its own. Don't snap or lose morale, just take a break and time itself will reenergize you.

Even without any human intervention (cover up relationship, drinking spree, revenge, getting even, etc), just leave the forest alone and let nature do its wonders, the forest will grow lush and thick faster than you think it would. Like when you scatter seeds—you don’t know how they grow overnight, but they just grow into sprouts.

Same with life, whatever aspect of our lives has been abused (physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually), if we leave it in the hands of God and let God do His wonders, we will be amazed on how He heals us and brings us back to vitality.

So whatever it is that you are going through right now, that you are waiting for, or looking forward to… consider this:

“There is wisdom in waiting. The things you may not understand right now, when they finish their purpose in your life, will make you understand life, others, and yourself better. When things happen how it should be, the result is sweeter and better.”

A wise lover knows when to talk and when to listen.

A wise investor knows when to buy and when to sell.

A wise general knows when to attack and when to retreat.

A wise king knows when to punish and when to forgive.

Timing is special skill. It doesn’t mean you have to wait long all the time… Timing is just a matter of finding joy or productivity while waiting; of taking one step forward to in order to take two steps forward; of feeling the pain now and seize all the lessons so you can start dancing tomorrow; of compartmentalizing things—enjoying one thing, while waiting for another thing to mature to sweetness, while cracking another opportunity to be waited for.

It is not always about our convenient time. Sometimes it is about the proper and right time of nature. And all the time, it is about God’s perfect timing.

Life is more wonderful and colorful if we know how to wait and until when we should wait. Let go and let God! He is in our every circumstance, and His hands are working in our every situation.

Be in the now. Be willing to wait while enjoying what you have now, where you are now!

Paradigm Shift: Socialites and ruralites are one and the same

Many great things on earth must not be waited to arrive… for they are in everywhere we go already, we just have to open our eyes to see, set our hearts to feel grateful, and free our minds to believe.


For a couple of weeks ago, I had been too busy with work and other stuff, or sometimes I was just busy thinking “What if I text Korsie and catch up? or “What if I send Ate Leony a chat message?” So there, I dropped a message to a friend who’s online.

“Hi Dane!” (cling cling) "Hey Pot!" she chatted back. Hi-hello. Few catching up questions... Poof! Suddenly, we just found ourselves on our way up north.

Everything happened spontaneously. She wanted to feel a different environment and I was longing to do something that would break the toxic urban life. Simply put, we both wanted to have a total relaxation. So after a few throws of messages, we packed up, and let the wheels take us to the paradise we’ve had never been to.

North pole and south pole slowly attracted each other and are now seated side-by-side. She was driving, I was facebook-ing. The soundwaves inside the car were relaxed—long flat line of silence, sporadic short talks, and long flat line again.

It was already a little over noon time when we left the busy streets. I haven’t had anything in my mouth yet since I woke up. Good thing this woman brought a well-prepared lunch box filled with cereals and a bun with garlic sourcream. (The opposite poles are attracting each other now).

The scenery along the express way validated that what was happening was real… I could hear the carabao in the vast rice field telling us “Yes, your unplanned out-of-town relaxation is real.” I could see the colorful nipa huts smile at us—“have fun!” quipped their walls. I could feel the crisp air hugs us, “warm welcome to the province!” I could smell the rain-soaked grass and the clean sea breeze spray out their best perfumes, “enjoy our humble setting.”

All these and more simple things opened up as the rolling grassy mountains of Zambales unfolded nature’s humble beauty and hospitality to us.

My adventurous, backpacking nature was complimented by the ever-ready, organized traits of the other woman. “Zoom in the lens,” her bitchy voice cracked the silence. Oh, there was the screen shot of the map going to the beach resort on her ipod screen.

“Okay, so we’re not fulfilling my dream of sleeping on the sand, grilling fish, getting wet in the rain, eating at carinderias?” I asked monotonously.

To cut it short, things worked for good that weekend… She got what she wanted, to have a beach resort to stay in. And me!!! Later you will find out.Ü

The resort was packed with guests and the only left accommodation was a nipa hut worth just within my budget (because I said the trip must be fun yet economical. I had to be clear with this party woman.)

“You socialite will be a ruralite this weekend, okay?” I emphasized, not waiting for her answer.

Everything I envisioned that we would do happened because this very woman fulfilled them unconsciously… Hooorrrrraaaay! (Because what she wanted was the exact opposite of my plan—decent room, prepared meal, no dancing in the rain only a clear sky for her photography.)

We proceeded from one moment to another doing our own stuff… yes, we walked together (one was ahead of the other). We sat on Love Love Love blanket together (one was taking pictures, the other was eating). We went to the shore together to drink (one was with a new friend, who by the way burned the coal for my grilled fish, and the other one was lying on the soft waves retrospecting in solitude).

How cool is that? Yes, we enjoyed our unwritten rule (of irony): let’s have fun together doing our own stuff independently.

We only talked with each other 20% of the entire time—only when we were eating meals. Most of our chats were even non-sense jokes and gloating of each other.

Our weekend getaway may seem a crap for some… But really, having someone by your side, equally happy as you are while doing her own stuff is far more fun and de-stressing than a tight and sheltered bonding. No bully, no feeling boss, no sensitive heart, no crybaby, no party pooper.

We met new warm and sincere friends who helped us cook my dream grilled fish at wee hours (FYI, they are the crew and the one who practically toiled burning the coal was the owner). We lived in simplicity of our humble nipa hut with no frills of fixing and plugging electrical appliances (we were living in ‘my’ dream palace with only two beds and a light as the furnishing). We were dressed in an unpretentious manner, walking from one place to another, sleeping by the shore and in the hammock while people passed by us. We were eating fresh sea foods and vegetables that were deliciously cooked yet so economical—that one might think we only paid for the labor harvesting and picking them rather than the normal trading price.

After less than 24 hours (excluding travel time) stay at the resort, the observations and realizations we got seemed like reaped from a decade experience.

Sometimes a great life just takes SILENCE (to retrospect and plan), RESPECT (to properly give way and accept), SIMPLICITY (for contentment and fulfillment), CHEERFULNESS (to bless other and be blessed by them), HUMILITY (to know and acknowledge that we are just among the great wonders He owns), and GRATITUDE (to appreciate the worth of small but great things and the abundance of God’s love).

I cannot describe how awesome and great God is for creating all that we see and experience here on earth—the mountains, the sea, the sand, the grass, the people, the carabao, the squid, and the eggplant (all these simple, complicated, big, and small things!)

Many great things on earth must not be waited to arrive… for they are in everywhere we go already, we just have to open our eyes to see, set our hearts to feel grateful, and free our minds to believe.

Now, it’s her time to sleep and my time to hit the wheel and conquer the road back to Manila. Both of us went home with smiles painted on our faces and beautiful things carved in our memories.

Whether in urban or in rural area, by the beach or in the praire or whether organized or anything-goes, prepared or carefree—life’s wonderfulness is the same, as the Maker is one and the same. The difference is just in our perspectives.