In His Timing

You have 5 minutes to get to the store before it closes. You scramble to get your keys, get in your car, and head out the door. During this time you are thinking, please don't let anyone stop me. I have to get to the store before it closes. I don't have time for any interruptions. Whatever anyone else needs can wait. I just need to get this one thing done and then I will be available. Sound familiar? We all have moments like these. Imagine now the different scenarios that could play out, if we weren't so focused on the time.

What if your neighbor who you haven't talked to in a while happened to be outside that day. You have been wanting to talk with them and get to know them, but right now just doesn't fit your schedule. You are just running to the store surely they will still be outside when you get back. Maybe, what you don't know is that they really needed to talk to someone at that moment you happened to walk outside. Maybe they won't be outside when you get back. You may miss your opportunity to reach out to someone if your focus is on the time.

I have been guilty of this a lot. I will be in a store and see someone I just know I was meant to run into and I will say to myself, I'll catch up with them later. But I know what I felt in my heart. I know there was reason I was running into that person on that day. But I was too worried about the time.

Sometimes our timing isn't God's timing. Actually probably most of the time if we are honest. When He wants us to do something it always seems like there is time for that later. We say, “I hear you God. I know what You want me to do.” Then we put it off. And then there is the other end of the spectrum. We are hurting and need answers. We want the answer immediately and don't want to wait. Then we are like, “God, I need you to answer me right now.” We begin to throw tantrums like we are 2 years old all over again. What if He is answering slowly because it is for our benefit? What if He wants us to grow a little? And sometimes I think He does answer but we don't listen close enough.

I firmly believe that God knows ahead of time what will happen in our lives. Have you ever been going through something and then turn on the tv or watch a movie and it speaks to your heart? That is God's timing. Especially when it happens over and over. He knew you would need to hear He is thinking of you, but in a non confrontational way so He lets things around you speak to you. So many times in my life when I felt at the end of my rope I would hear His voice come through a song, a movie, a person. And I would know it what His timing.

At times right now, I would love nothing more to fast forward to see the ending to some questions I have but I know that would not be for my benefit. I would miss all the stuff He does in the middle and the ending wouldn't mean as much. When we are feeling frustrated and hurting we need to take a breath and realize its beyond our control. He is in control, and its His timing.