Have you ever been caught up in a moment and instantly felt a profound sense of appreciation for what was happening? What about feeling impatient because you’ve been waiting for what feels like forever for a prayer to be answered? The common theme in both examples is God’s timing.
I’ve recently grown to respect His timing more than ever. I
grew up without a relationship with my biological father due to circumstances out
of his and my mother’s hands. We never really connected until a few years ago
when I was a 32-year-old man. It was great getting to know one another instead
of being perfect strangers. We had the same cadence of speech, our voices sounded
similar, our handwriting was spot-on identical, and we bonded over a mutual
love for music and spicy foods. We were like John C. Riley and Will Ferral in Stepbrothers.
While Mike and I were learning how to communicate, live and
love as father and son for the first time, my first marriage was taking a
nosedive. My ex-wife and I fell apart faster than an airplane losing its
engines at 30,000 ft. and louder than a midnight train in the middle of Iowa.
Mike was there for me just when I needed him most. He gave me a shoulder to
lean on and an ear that listened with intent. He helped get me through one of
the worst times of my life. I knew that the road I was on with my ex wasn’t going
to last forever, but I guess I didn’t think it would come to a halt the way
that it did. Nothing will make you feel worse than having a violent partner
and/or being the victim of domestic abuse. I felt betrayed and belittled, after
all, it is embarrassing to be the subject of not only a divorce, but physical
abuse as a man. Not that it is better the other way around, it’s just not
something you hear that often; that the wife was the abuser.
Mike helped me work through those feelings of isolation,
regret, and thoughts of self-harm. He was the one who encouraged me to ask a
new girl out. That new girl turned into my wife, and I am proud to say that she
is the woman of my dreams. She is beautiful, smart, nurturing, compassionate,
funny, and made me feel like my heart had found a safe and loving home from day
one. I’m not sure I would be alive to tell this story, or be that woman’s husband,
or my little girl’s dad, had it not been for my mom and Mike’s love during that
dark storm in my life.
Like a thief in the night, he was gone. Mike passed away a
few days shy of his 50th birthday. He was around long enough for us
to have a father-son relationship; to forgive and be forgiven and offer life
altering advice to his eldest child when his life was seemingly falling apart.
I was present to support his up-and-coming music career and to offer words of
encouragement and forgiveness for his absence in my childhood.
My wife and I met at a time that was crucial for the both of
us. When I thought all hope was loss and that I might never love again, I saw
her warm and welcoming smile. We have been able to show one another that it is
okay to be vulnerable and that our hearts are safe in each other’s hands.
Recently at work I had the opportunity to exchange a little of
life’s stories with one of my clients. (I am a travel advisor.) She told me quite a bit about her past as it
related to mine. We both had abusive ex-spouses and had gone through the ringers
of divorce. In our conversation she asked me what I would do in a certain
situation. My response came quickly and smooth as I told her to step back and
let the pieces fall where they will and to give it up to God.
Isn’t that a wonderful gift we have in a God that takes on all
our burdens. God does things on His time. It is not our place to understand the
whys and how, but like an obedient child, it is our duty to trust our parent’s
judgements, thus, we put our faith and trust into our heavenly Father’s hands.
Sometimes it is extremely difficult to uphold our faith with the timing seems
wrong. For example, when a parent must bury a child, or when we lose a job, or
when our car needs repairs, but we don’t have the finances to fix it. It is not
our place to know the whys, but it is our place to have faith that the Lord’s
will is being done with perfect timing. One day we will walk with Him and the
answers to every question will no longer concern us. Our flesh and blood lives
will no longer matter to our spirit, and we will know so much peace, grace, and
love, that what we experienced here on Earth was just a second in our lives of
eternity. Our lives will become a whiff on the winds of change.
I imagine that some
of these things we find so challenging have a butterfly effect on someone else.
For every child that passes away from a brave battle with cancer, two more are recovered.
For every spouse lowered into a grave, three more couples get engaged. For
every terrible thing, many good things happen somewhere, thus maintaining a balanced
circle of life. For this we should give a prayer of thanksgiving. Putting your
faith in The Lord, that He knows best and does not give you anything you cannot
handle or learn from. Praise His Holy name, that even when you are suffering,
someone else is receiving a blessing. At our very core as Christians, we are
called to heal the world and to pray for those who inhabit it. Sing praise for
your brothers and sisters, sing praise for your victories, and sing praise for
your defeats.
I would like to take a deeper and more biblical approach into
God’s timing by selecting a few scriptures to dissect, and to see what the Word
can teach us.
In the annals of history, we find stories of ordinary
individuals who were thrust into extraordinary circumstances, their lives
intersecting with the divine in ways they could scarcely comprehend. From the
trials of Joseph to the faith of Abraham and Sarah, and culminating with the
birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, we witness the hand of God guiding and directing
the course of human events.
Consider the journey of Joseph, a man who endured betrayal
and injustice at the hands of his own kin yet remained steadfast in his faith.
In the depths of his suffering, Joseph clung to the belief that God was working
all things together for good. As he declared to his brothers in Genesis 50:20, “You
intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now
being done, the saving of many lives.” Through Joseph’s story, we learn that
even in the darkest of times, God’s providence shines bright, illuminating the
path to redemption and reconciliation.
Similarly, let us ponder the faith of Abraham and Sarah, who
waited patiently for the fulfillment of God’s promise – a promise that seemed
impossible in their old age. Yet, as it says in Genesis 21:1-7, “Now the Lord
was gracious to Sara as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had
promised.” Their story serves as a testament to the faithfulness of God’s
timing, reminding us that He is never late, but always right on time.
And then, my brothers and sisters, we come to the most
momentous event in human history – the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In
Galatians 4:4-5, we read, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his
Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that
we might receive adoption to sonship.” This passage encapsulates the divine
chronology of God’s pan – a plan that unfolded at precisely the appointed hour,
bringing salvation to all who believe.
So, what does God’s perfect timing mean for us today? It
means placing our trust in the wisdom and providence of our Heavenly Father. It
means surrendering our desires and ambition to His sovereign will, knowing that
He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion. As we stand on
the precipice of uncertainty, let us take solace in the words of my favorite
book, Ecclesiastes 3:11, which assures us that God has made everything
beautiful in its time. Let us march forward with unwavering faith, knowing that
God’s timing is perfect, yesterday, today, and forevermore.
In the immortal words of my dear brother, Jesus Christ, “For
everything there is a season, and a time for every mater under heaven”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1). Let us embrace the miraculous chronology of God’s perfect
timing, and in doing so, may we be instruments of His peace and love in a fallen
world desperately in need of redemption.
May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you
all. Amen.
