I said, No.

I said no to something this week. I actually said no to a few things. I didn't feel guilty either. 

Let me explain. I was reading an article the other day where the author** penned a sentence that really struck me. 

“Saying no or “not yet” to certain dreams or goals because to everything there is a season.”**

I just looked at it and read it again. I’m still reading it again. 

I don’t know what the author believes, but the end of her sentence is framed from Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 3:1 to be exact. 

I often have a million ideas running thru my head at once. It’s why I have had at least 72 different side gigs in my life, why I couldn’t decide what to major in while I was at college, and why I join every free 2 week trial that comes along. Of course, I never have tell my husband I have joined, he always seems to tell me that I forgot to cancel when the subscription fee goes flying out of our bank account!! It’s why I am constantly renaming my blog. (Although, so far it’s been a while 6 months since I renamed it, so here’s hoping this one sticks!) And why I never seem to accomplish anything because something else shiny usually catches my attention before I can get good and started on the first thing! 

“SQUIRREL!!!”  Ha! (Have you seen the movie, “Up!”)

Now, that I write all that out, maybe I have commitment issues or whatever it is other people have that causes them to stick to something and be successful at it. 

“Saying no or “not yet” to certain dreams or goals because to everything there is a season.”

I’m thinking about writing that in lipstick on my bathroom mirror so I can see it every morning. 

I want to do all of my million ideas. I suppose I am afraid if I don’t do them all now they will never be completed.  Ironically, most of them do not get completed anyway because I am not focused. I never think about the season that I might in at the moment. I never think what might actually need to be accomplished now and what can wait. 

I justify that everything needs to be now because everything hinges on everything else. 

Here’s where Linus would say “Good grief, Charlie Brown, get a grip!” Am I right? 

“to everthing there is a season”

It is comforting to know that there are seasons of life. It is ok to say “no” to a couple of 100,000 of those ideas and “wait” to another 100,000. Maybe knowing about these seasons will give me permission to focus for awhile, knowing the other ideas can be worked on later. 

After pondering this verse for a few days, I decided to finally start working again on one of those million ideas I have had in my head. It was part of the 72 different side gigs that I have had, an idea for a new photo series. After about an hour of catching up on photos, I discovered while I still really like my idea and hope to finish it some day, it is not the season for it now. I also straight up not have time to work on it. This idea/goal is now on the back burner or in a season of waiting and quite possibly could turn out to be a no. That is ok with me too. 

It’s nice to start putting goals and ideas where they belong. It frees up time and space. Freedom is worth it. 

Do you have something that is in a season of waiting or deciding to say no so you can yes to something else?? 

**I am usually particular about linking quotes to the original article. But this one I cannot because I have lost the link. I’ll be sure to post it if I find it again.