In The Fullness Of Time

“But when the fullness of time had come…” This statement seems simplistic but is of such enormous worth. It suggests the coming of age of a long overdue pregnancy; the actual moment of birthing with a “you-know-how-long-I-have-been-waiting-for-this!” punctuation. In this single moment in time, everything comes to a standstill and at least for now, absolutely nothing else matters. Boy am I waiting with eager anticipation for a few of those!

Happy, Happy, Happy New Year to you! So grateful we crossed the threshold into 2017. For some of you this progression represents a new day, a new era, a new season, a changing of the guards of some sorts. For others, it is the perfect opportunity to reset that button and to start all over again. For a few of us though, this New Year represents a coming of age in more ways than one. There are some things that we have been waiting to achieve, some breakthroughs we have been diligently hoping to see manifest and some answers we have been waiting with bated breaths to see spring forth. The wait has been a long and arduous one. Many have given up; perhaps have even thrown in the towel. Many have lost hope along the way. Many have walked away. Many have run out of patience and energy and resources, even time; at least in their minds.

When I first came across this very pregnant statement in The Human’s Manual For Living, I was completely captivated by its implication. “But when the fullness of time had come…” (Galatians 4:4) is a very loaded statement that was surmised by Paul, The Apostle, in His letter to the new and fledgling converts in the city of Galatia, concerning God sending His Son into the world. Were you to do a genealogical study of the life of Jesus, you would discover, based on historical documentation that the length of time between the first mention of God sending His Son (Genesis 3:15) and His Son’s actual coming, was approximately 4,000 years! Can you imagine? Were you to read this same statement in different versions of The Manual, you would quickly find a very vivid picture emerging; at least I did. The New Life Version presents it as, “But at the right time…”; the Message Version – “But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father…”; the Expanded Version – “But when the right [appropriate, appointed] time came…”; and, the Amplified Version – “But when [in God’s plan] the proper time had fully come…” Can you begin to see where this is going?

For many of you in waiting, the enormity of the process has been overwhelming (sheesh, I’ve been praying and waiting for a husband since turning 23 years old. I am now 40!) Yet, there is something that is very vital and worthwhile drawing from this statement. When the fullness of time is come connotes that the timing is right; that everything is perfectly aligned; that all components are in position; and, that everything that is needed to support the arrival of that promise is now in place. Nothing good happens before the right time. The consequences of things being precipitated or forced to occur out of season are often disastrous. Half-ripen fruits are never palatable to the taste-buds and sometimes can wreak havoc on the digestive system. To come into a thing before the due season can and generally does lead to loss and accompanying regret. The stories of this dynamic are too numerous to ignore.

Just recently it dawned on me that it’s not that my prayers are not being heard; it’s just that the factor or factors needed to facilitate the desired response are not yet in place. For more than 300 years the children of Israel cried to God for deliverance from the hands of the merciless slave masters in Egypt. The initial response came in the 350^th year when the one who was destined to bring deliverance was born. It would take another 80 years for Moses to begin the exodus of his people out of slavery and into a land that was destined to be their own. During their period of waiting and crying out to God and pleading for His intervention, it wasn’t that God had not heard them, nor had He not seen their pain and anguish. The deliverer had not yet arrived and until then, they simply had to wait.  “But when the fullness of time had come…”

There is a season to everything and a time for every purpose pertaining to your life. Sometimes it is hard to believe again, to hope again, to even trust again and yet, this current season is calling for you to do just that. Don’t miss it. Shalom!

Georgia A. Bryce is the Founder of Building According To Pattern, LLC and the Bryce Legacy Group. As a certified Personal and Professional Development Coach, Thought Strategist and Transformational Speaker, her thrust is towards helping clients discover their own unique blue-print and personal authority and guiding them into building their lives by design. Her specialty is in the areas of self-discovery, purpose, vision, leadership, and legacy development. For group and individualized coaching, or to book Ms. Bryce as a keynote speaker or workshop facilitator, contact her at 786-471-8312.