The “Test” in Testimony
She sat in the class at the front. She really had no real need to be there. She wasn’t looking to re-enter the workforce.… Continue
It's Time
Published: Jul 7th, 2025
We live in a world obsessed with timelines — finish school by 22, land the perfect job by 25, have life figured out by… well, yesterday. But what if the best things — the richest, most meaningful parts of our lives — aren’t meant to be rushed? What if growth, dreams, and even healing need space to unfold naturally, like a painting slowly coming to life with layer upon layer of color? This reflection invites you to pause, release the made-up deadlines, and trust the beautiful, sometimes messy, timing of your own journey.
Messages from well meaning people will convince you that you are doing it wrong. Deadlines that are somehow created in our minds stifle the creative process.
Whose Timeline Are You Following?
Our dreams and goals in our lives are usually not attained in a day. Not in a week and sometimes they take years. I sat with my twenty something daughter the other day and we talked about her career.
Talking about conversations that open our eyes!
She entered college the same year that COVID shut the world down. She told me that she “should” be done with undergrad. She “should” be in her master’s program. She “should” be further along her journey.
I asked her who set the deadline. Was there a deadline? Was there a rule, a book, a doctrine that prescribed this journey? Was this failure?
The Silent Agreements That Shape Us
Messages. Agreements we make with ourselves that we don’t even think about. Yes, there are rules. Don’t speed, don’t hit people, don’t drink and drive, but there are no prescribed rules about how our lives should be unfolding. There is an inherent rush to get to the next success. We miss the time to journey, to wander through our experiences with attention. We miss so much because we are so focused on not being where we think we are supposed to be.
The Lesson from a Painting
Several years ago, I had a vision of a painting in my head. I am an oil artist - and anyone who has utilized this medium understands that oils take a VERY long time to dry.
Why the Process Matters
If you rush the painting, the colors will blend with each other diluting the very color you are trying to show. It’s the process. This picture hangs on my wall in my living room and it’s rich and colorful. It’s intense. It’s angry and powerful. It’s beautiful and engaging. It’s all those things. What makes it precious to me, is that it took me two years to paint it. It wasn’t dedication. It was purpose. I knew in my mind's eye what it needed to become. And it needed time to BECOME. Layer over layer of color and detail, with huge swaths of time in between in order to get to that place where it would burst with life.
Dreams Need Time and Space
When we place deadlines on our dreams, we rush the process, we dilute our colors. Time to explore, to reflect and to engage in our process creates the space and time that allows our dreams to flow. We can get into the deeper meaning of what we are trying to accomplish. Not because it’s a checkbox on a to do list, but because we can find the deeper meaning of what it is that we strive to achieve. BUT we need the TIME and the SPACE.
Dear Daughter, Let Life Bloom
My darling daughter, give your life painting time. Give yourself the space to explore your world. Spend time with people who love and support you. Look to see how you want your life to bloom. Give yourself that grace. Learn now that there is no rule book and all those “shoulds” don’t belong to you. Go explore your heart.
