When my grandson asked to make Jell-O, it never occurred to me there might be an object lesson to share. Leave it to me to find one. We weren’t making just any ordinary Jell-O; this was rainbow Jell-O and it took great skill to pour all the colorful layers.

I would love to tell you that my five-year old grandson took command of the project, but that was not the case. He did manage to empty the Jell-O packets into the bowls lined across the kitchen island; he may have done a small amount of stirring, but that was about it. The completion of his great idea fell on my shoulders. Imagine that!

The planned object lesson for my grandson never happened, but it is one I have experienced again and again in my life.

To pour in layers is not an easy task.

I have made handmade soaps for over 15 years and pouring soap in layers is considered an advanced technique. I discovered pouring Jell-O layers is no different. It requires patience if you want to keep each layer “pure”.

When you rush the process it is inevitable something will either cannonball into a previously poured layer, or the soap will be too hot to pour. This causes an irreparable color bleed and your only option is to start over. That is when the cha ching factor kicks in and you step back and wonder why in the heck you didn’t slow down and do it right the first time. 

Every layer of our life is an exercise in patience coupled with knowledge.  New layers must be added with deliberate slowness to ensure previous layers are prepared to accept and bond to the next layer of change.

I don’t know about you, but I am the first to admit that I have tried to add ‘pure’ layers to my life only to find my timing was off. When the new layer was added it was only a matter of time before is separated from the layer beneath.  My timing was off. I had moved forward outside of God’s perfect time frame.

There are consequences to pay when we independently add a layer before God says, “It is time.”

The Bible is filled with stories of those who moved ahead of God. But God’s timing is not our own and to move ahead of God doesn’t work out to well. Consider this story.

God promised Abraham and Sarah a child, but Sarah became impatient and tells Abraham to take their maidservant Hagar for a wife and to conceive with her. Hagar conceives.  Sarah gets jealous.  Sarah gets mad at Abram.  Abram tells her to do as she pleases.  Sarah kicks out Hagar and the baby. 

The Angel of the Lord finds Hagar in the wilderness and instructs her to name her son Ishmael and says of him, “He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.” (Genesis 16:12)

Fast forward fourteen years later. Sarah finally bears Isaac, the son God had promised Abraham.  Both Abraham and Sarah had moved outside of God’s timeframe and reaped the consequences of their actions.

Let Jesus fortify your layers.
Be patient for God’s timing and prayerfully submit the layers of your life to His will. When you do, He will fortify every layer and render the enemy, Satan, powerless to penetrate and corrupt the foundations previously laid. God has a perfect plan to make the layers of your life ‘pure’ if you only listen.

Here is a link to the recipe for the Rainbow Jell-O dessert.
http://www.blimpygirl.com/all-recipes/rainbow-jell-o