Eiffel Tower Eyes

France was amazing. Everything I dreamed it would be.

Full of life, fragrance, and beauty. In Paris we walked along the River Seine, passing stands where artists and booksellers offered up little tokens of their city as a reminder of our journey to the city of love.

The cafes were filled with the most delicious pastries stuffed with chocolate, almonds, and even pistachio.

A macchiato came in a tiny porcelain cup instead of the venti size we get at our local Starbucks(although I admit I did stop in at the local Starbucks one particularly chilly morning for a venti). And in this leisurely city, they don’t bring you your check until you absolutely need it, and even then, seem surprised that you would be leaving so soon.

And yet, one particular night, as I sat in the lobby waiting on my friends to go to dinner, I found myself feeling despondent.

You know, that feeling when the world feels amiss and your place in it? I was scrolling through one of my social media pages and noticed friend after friend who were newly “In a Relationship,” “Engaged,” “Married,” "Moved," or "Started a New Job". 

Hold up! Was I being left behind!? What was I doing with my life? Why wasn’t I “In a Relationship” by now? Had I missed out on my chance for true love? Was I in the right job? Living in the right place? My mind was spinning with all the opportunities I might have missed, things maybe I should have done differently, and paths I could have taken...   

Then suddenly, like the loving father He is, I heard my Heavenly Father say, “Kristian, stop! Look around you. You are right where you are supposed to be. This is the season I have you in and it’s a beautiful season.”

And he was SO right. While I was looking at my friends and the changes happening in their lives, they were on the other side watching me travel through Europe and live my own story. I was in my own unique and beautiful season. And it was an incredible one! 

It’s funny, though, that no matter what season of life you’re in, the lie is almost always the same…

“You aren’t where you should be.”

“I should be completing my degree already.”

“I should be with the right guy at this point.”

"I should be making more money." 

“I should be married by now.”

“I should be in that dream job I’ve been working towards.”

“I should be the one having a baby shower.”

Or…

“I should have stayed single longer.”

“I should have waited to have kids.”

“I should have stayed at my other job longer.”

“I should…I should…I should…”

But who decides where you “should” be in life?

Society?

Friends?

Family?

You?

When we measure where we are in life by those standards, there are a lot of differing opinions. But when we measure where we are by God’s standards, there is only One.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” And Psalm 31:15, says “My times are in His hands.”

When I remind myself of this, I am able to find joy in each season. God has a plan and I can trust his plan. He promises that it’s a good one (Jeremiah 29:11) and that He will finish what he started (Philippians 1:6). I won’t let the thought of where I “should be” steal my joy of the present. Today is beautiful.

And for all the other things that I am hoping for, I have to trust that He knows exactly what He’s doing. I am exactly where I should be … in HIS timing.

Our next and last day in Paris I headed off to the Eiffel Tower with a renewed excitement and joy! To some, it may seem like just another piece of architecture in a touristy city, but to me it represented the desire I always had of coming to France. It represented hope, adventure and a dream fulfilled.

As I stood looking out over the city, I realized, “I did it, I’m here!” The thing I have been dreaming about for so long actually happened. I came to France, ate pastries, drank coffee in the cafes, spoke broken French, saw the paintings, walked the river and climbed the Eiffel Tower. I am exactly where I am supposed to be at this moment in my life.”

Maybe I’m not with the right guy quite yet.

Maybe I’m still working towards my dream job.

Maybe there are many more desires in my heart just bursting to come to life.

But I’ve seen the Eiffel Tower.

And if I’ve seen the Eiffel Tower then everything else is just as possible, or as the French say, “uhn poss-ee-blah.” And the same is true for you. 

It’s only a matter of timing.