The following was a recent facebook status update from a friend of mine:
Frustrating and slow start to the morning, as I waited and waited (and waited) for the kids to clean up their multiple-puzzle disaster that had overtaken our living room before starting school. Puzzle pieces mixed up and scattered EVERYWHERE. (Ever the awesome encourager that I am, I helped them along with motherly love, like, "C'mon guys, it's getting late, let's GO! We have things to DO!")
Ten minutes later, their devotional to start our day was a listing of praises for the kids (and I) to offer to God.
Included on the list: Your timing is perfect - never too early or too late.
And in case I didn't quite catch that Ah-ha thought for the day, the devotional ended with: Your plan is perfect. Sometimes *puzzling* and hard to understand. But perfect.
Puzzling. Yes, ha ha. I got it. (But, yes, sometimes, being spoon fed and reminded that He speaks to us, even through books intended for little ones, is nice.)
I am constantly questioning timing.
What is God's timing, and what is just the shit that will happen?
I was recently on the phone with a woman who was telling me about her diagnosis with Colitis: It was the 1950's, she was fourteen, and her parents were in the middle of a divorce. A friend had a baby recently, and he needs more than one expensive surgery. In June, I lost my job as soon as Husband found a new one. Funny, since he lost his last job as soon as I got the job that I just lost. Over five years ago, Husband's company went out of business weeks after I found out I was pregnant with Elf. Then we found out there was something wrong with her umbilical cord, and I couldn't work.
Now, because we had to leave where we were, we ended up where we are now. In a house that we adore, in a great neighborhood, with one of the best public schools in the state. We have an amazing church family.
What was God's timing?
I know that I don't believe that God has a big electric board, pushing a button every time every thing happens. This button is for kittens being born! Someone's winning the lottery! Car accident! Leukemia!
I do believe that somethings things happen that are intended to happen to teach us something, to help us grow. Good things and bad things. Damn, don't I wish I knew when it was God and when it was just life!
Speaking of timing, I have a doctor's appointment in half an hour so I'ma take a shower.
I've so often wondered the same thing. And what I see in Scripture so far in my journey is this: it's all God. I go back to the story of Joseph (in Genesis) and Job, and I see that through all of their suffering (and how confusing/hard it must have been for them to walk through their lives! I mean, come on, we know how it ends for them; they didn't) - and the great people of dignity and character they became, and how they learned to just lean on Him despite what was happening. <3
ReplyDeleteThat said, I still don't understand why He's called people to walk through some of the things they've experienced. And it's too much for my heart some days (friends who have watched their children die?! Oh, I can't even. I can't). But that's why, I think, He reminds us over and over again that His foolishness is wiser than our wisdom, and His ways are higher than ours.
Thank you for this. I've got a couple "what the...?!?" circumstances going on right now and I'm wrestling with God's timing, too.
Love you!