That cuppa
I usually drink a cup of green tea every night. It is a cup of pure green tea because there's no caffeine in it to enable me to sleep. Not that I can’t sleep but it relaxes me. Unfortunately, I have this distaste of chamomile, so I have found pure green tea as my alternative.
There are nights when I have taken a sip and instantly regretted it as it was still too hot. So hot that I could not taste the tea. There are other days when it was too cold that I wished I had sipped it earlier.
Yet there are days, like that one night, when the temperature was just right. My tongue was not burnt, my taste buds was in full appreciation of the green tea flavor. Perfect. I thought to myself, my timing was perfect.
Then I heard the rain outside, with the wind howling, all while I lay in my warm bed. Gosh, could that cup of tea be any more perfect in terms of timing?
Timing
That was when I realized the importance of timing. Interesting that it came in a perspective, brewed whilst drinking my cup of tea.
It made me think of God’s timing in our lives. Days when we humans act too soon. We live in this ‘here and now’ world that equates wants = needs. And this is much without the guidance of the holy spirit. The days when we fall short because we act when we want it now.
Much like sipping a hot drink, we get stung even before we begun. We are fully aware of the implications of our choices, yet we still choose to be stung. Maybe that’s where patience plays a big part.
Then there are days when we leave it too late. We get caught up in ‘life’ pulling us in directions of work, family, relationships, and the list goes on. We may not necessarily be fully aware of the implications of our choices until regrets start to creep in.
Just like that cold cup of tea, wishing I had drunk it earlier. Those are days when I wished I had acted earlier instead of being complacent.
Perfect timing?
Yet the best days are those when the timing could not have been better. Someone once said to me "God is never early but always on time". I love this quote because it ties in with one of my favourite bible verses (Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verse 1):
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens”
The world may look at timing as ‘fate’, ‘chance’ or ‘as the universe deems it to be’ without believing in God. I, on the other hand, knowing the God I know as a Christian, surprisingly agree.
I agree because fate, chance or even the universe is created by God. He created all these, because he created time. It’s easier to accept that ‘fate’ brought things together like the rom-coms we watch, rather than accept that perhaps God brought things together.
When is the right timing?
Yes, there will be days when my tea is too hot, and I burn my tongue. I equate this to days when God’s grace forgives my indecision and the lack of patience. The experience however teaches me for the next time, to wait until the tea cools down.
Yes, there will be days when my tea is too cold, and I may have just wasted that cuppa. I equate this to days when God’s wisdom reminds me that the attitude of gratitude triumphs possessions and experiences. I learn not to linger on regrettable actions (the phrase 'could have, should have, but didn’t' springs to mind here), rather once again, learn from the experience.
And finally, yes, there will be days when God’s will for my life may be exactly what I prayed for. I equate this to days when God’s spirit and mine align. I catch this glimpse of what the term ‘Heaven on Earth’ may just feel like. And the best example is me, sitting in my bed now writing this article, sipping my cuppa green tea that's just the right temperature. Cheers to timing, God!
Cindy Adwong lives and works in Auckland. My aim in life is to live life to the fullest daily. I love being effective and efficient in all I do. My hobbies include spending time with people, baking, cooking, travelling and just being alive, amongst numerous to name.