No to Deadlines!

Today I learned we shouldn't assign deadlines to people. Persons -- hearts, souls -- are not reports or projects that we can demand "completion" of at a certain time or date. Each one needs time to grow, to change, to blossom and bear fruit, but the amount of time it takes for these things to happen differs for every person.

Just because certain people do not meet our "deadlines" and expectations doesn't mean they're bad or hopeless. It just means God is taking a bit more time working in their lives.

It's important to be open to the new, surprising, funny, weird, scary, tried-and-tested, normal, unusual, and exciting ways that God may call us, use us or reach out to us. To be open to how He does the same to other people. To be open to how long or short it may take to accomplish His will in each of our lives. To be open to how He may use people to catch our attention or send us a message -- however unlikely or undeserving the messengers may seem to us. Most of all, to be open to God being God.