“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV)
Drew was helping clean out his grandfather’s attic one Saturday afternoon when he came across a dusty old box labeled: “VCR & Tapes – Do Not Throw Away.”
Curious, Drew opened it and pulled out a heavy, silver VCR. “What’s this old thing doing here?” he mumbled.
His grandpa, sitting in a creaky chair nearby, chuckled. “That old machine taught me more about life than most folks ever did.”
Drew raised an eyebrow. “A VCR taught you about life?”
“Yep,” Grandpa said, leaning back. “Back in the day, before your fancy streaming and all, this is how we watched movies. But here’s the thing - it wasn’t perfect. Sometimes, the tape would jam. Sometimes, you had to rewind it all the way before watching again. And if you hit pause too long, the screen would freeze in a grainy blur.”
“So… it was annoying?”
“Frustrating, yes. But it also taught me patience. You had to wait. You had to prepare. And most of all, you had to know when to hit ‘Play.’ You couldn’t just skip to the good parts.”
Drew sat down, holding the old remote.
Grandpa smiled. “Life’s a lot like that VCR. Sometimes God hits ‘Pause’ and we don’t understand why. Other times, He rewinds us back to a place we thought we were done with—because there’s still something to learn there. But when the time is right, He presses ‘Play,’ and the story continues.”
Just like that VCR, our lives move in seasons, times to act, times to wait, and times to go back and reflect. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that "To everything there is a season..." Even the pauses and rewinds have a purpose.
We may be impatient, wanting to fast-forward through pain or uncertainty. But God, the Creator of time itself, knows just when to let things play out.
So, if you’re in a season of waiting, or if it feels like life has been paused, trust the One who holds the remote. He’s not done with your story yet.
Prayer
"Lord, thank You for being the Author and Director of my life. Help me trust You when I don’t understand the timing. Teach me to be patient in the pauses, to learn from the rewinds, and to move with courage when You press play. Amen."
Reflection Questions
1. What season of life do you feel you're in rewind, pause, or play?
2. Have you seen God’s timing work out in unexpected ways?
3. How can you better trust God during the “pause” moments in your life?
Next time you see an old VCR, or even a “loading” screen, remember: God’s timing is always perfect.
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