Are you struggling to 'get' God's timing? Prayer Mentors are here for you.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die….” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
I don’t always understand God’s timing, but sometimes I get a glimpse. I received the call on a Wednesday morning from my brother that Dad had gone to the hospital. By that afternoon the doctors had concluded there was nothing they could do but send him home to die. I had to get there, and fast.
My flight to Columbus, Ohio should have been smooth. It was anything but. After a day filled with frustration, I finally arrived at my dad’s apartment to hear the hospice nurse say he may not make it through the night. Yet he lived another eight days. Days we were able to care for him. Anyone who has been with a dying loved one knows the preciousness of each hour. I realized it was a gift from God.
The day Dad died, he was more alert than he had ever been. I had just returned from getting pizza and jokingly asked him if he wanted some. He smiled, and said, “I don’t think so.” The next moment, his chest jerked and his head thrust back. He was gone. Just like that.
All week I had been praying for the Lord not to take him a minute before or a minute after his appointed time. It would have been so easy for either my brother or me to be out of the room. But we were both there, with Dad, at the exact moment he left this world and entered eternity.
God was in control the whole time: in my frustration, my sorrow, my gratefulness. His timing was perfect. It always is. No matter what the season.
Father, thank you for watching over all our ways. Praise you for your perfect timing, even when we don’t see it. Amen.
Take Action
Intentionally counter whatever worry is invading your peace right now with a choice to trust in the God who loves you.
When have you seen God's timing win out over your own hopes or plans? What do you need to trust Him with today?