It seems every bride wants peonies in her wedding bouquet. They are soft, delicate, and come in the sweetest shades of bliss. In season, peonies are fluffy and sublime. Out of season, they often arrived at the floral design studio as tight, round buds. To coax them into the flower we desired, we cut the stems, put them in a vase of hot water and covered it all with a heavy plastic bag, creating a hothouse. Then we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best.
God’s perfect timing is often compared to a blooming rose. Neither can be rushed. We tried that too, blowing into a rose bud, attempting to force it open. I even saw one designer spin the rose stem between her palms to fling the petals open. It sort of worked but never as well as the God-intended process. Nothing ever compares to God’s plan.
Everything on earth, everything in life, everything in death involves a process. God has set it perfectly that way. He creates in a moment, performs miracles in an instant, but He has established time and process into our world, into a blossom and into each life and every thing. I try to tinker with it. I push against it with my prayers. I want things now and fail to see why it cannot be. Surrendering to His perfect plan, joining Him with faith, obedience and awe always heals, always heals.
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-26
Meeting God at the Park 