Timing Is Everything

You’ve probably heard the phrase “timing is everything” at some point in your life. And I can finally say that I understand that to be mostly true. I think more accurately – God’s timing is everything.

It’s been months since I’ve posted – and for a while that fact tormented me. Last year was the best year I have ever had for engagement on my blog and taking time away seemed so counter productive. Like a giant step backwards. Wouldn’t that be a foolish thing to do? But there are times that silence serves a purpose, even if we don’t always know what it is. And since stepping into Trust has been the theme of this year, this has become just one more area to learn to trust that God knows what He is doing. In doing that, I have learned to trust God’s timing.

My time away from writing has been filled with some amazing things and I am so glad that I finally have an opportunity to start to share some of them with you. The biggest “happening” was that I had the privilege of travelling to Kenya on a missions trip with my 11 year old son this summer.

We went with an amazing team of people who have become like family to serve at Little Hands School in Naivasha. We had the most wonderful hosts in Bernie and Celia Mascher and met some extraordinary people – especially the children that we were able to minister to and spend time with. We were both humbled and blessed as they shared their lives, their culture, their food, and their country with us. It was incredible! I can’t wait to share more details in a future post.

In Kenya, I encountered joy, like I haven’t any other place on earth.

I watched my son step out of his comfort zone time and again, got to delight in his laughter and take the world in through the eyes of child-like wonder. I watched him grow in character and responsibility, and helped him navigate change and all the emotions that an experience like this entails. This trip was life changing for my son and I in so many ways and I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to see a life-long dream fulfilled. It has given me some time to reflect on the timing of it all.

I love how God reinforces the things He is speaking to our hearts in different ways to confirm His Word. I had just finished writing most of this post and was leaving it a few days to marinate before editing, when my pastor spoke about the concept of time. He said that in the Greek there are 2 words used for time: chronos – from which we get our word chronological and it refers to the linear, measurable passage of time; and kairos – which means a qualitative, opportune time. An appointed time. Now more than ever, I have discovered what it means to have those kairos moments. Those appointed times when you step into something and you know that it is the exact moment God prepared for you to be there. Kairos changes everything!

To say that I waited my whole life to travel to Africa is not an exaggeration. As far back as 4 or 5 years old, I remember dreaming about going to Africa. Of holding little babies and playing with children whose skin was so much darker than mine. Of walking barefoot in red earth. Of listening to joyful African voices raised in song. Of seeing the great lion stalk across the savannah, or watching a giraffe feeding on the acacia trees.

Perhaps some of these thoughts and longings came from listening to my grandmother share stories about her time in Africa as a missionary, but I knew the root of it went far deeper. And I firmly believe that it was a desire planted by God, long before I even knew what it meant.

That dream is one that I would carry for another 4 decades. Oh, there were several times where opportunities arose and I would think “This is it! It’s finally happening!” but it seemed that no matter what I tried, nothing ever came to fruition. I thought for sure this was something I would do as soon as I was an adult and out living on my own. But nothing. Then I left single life behind and got married and my husband and I started building our life together. Then came babies. And then came the miscarriages after which we entered the world of foster care and adoption. And then… and then…there just never seemed a time that was right to step into any of the opportunities that crossed my path.

After a while, I started to wonder if perhaps it had all been a childish dream, or romantic notion from reading too many missionary stories. Yet the dream wouldn’t die, no matter how hard I tried to abandon it, but it did slowly begin to fade. So, I set it on the shelf and relegated it to a “maybe someday” adventure and instead poured myself into the present and the season where God had me planted. A season in which I learned some powerful lessons about being planted and present.

Do you have a dream like that? Something that God placed in your heart years ago that you were excited and passionate about? Something that has faded as disappointments, or rejections, or obstacles have come up along the way and that dream or vision has gotten pushed farther and farther back onto the shelf or locked away? Or maybe you’ve abandoned it altogether. Maybe you’ve doubted the call on your life because you don’t seem to be walking in it – at least the way you imagined you would be. Maybe you feel like God has led you along on a merry chase, like a cat on a string, and you’re angry because you were so sure and now you are disillusioned and confused. If you can relate, you’re not alone.

It can be so frustrating when things don’t go according to plan. At least when they don’t go according to our plan. But we have to remember that God’s timing is there for a reason. Romans 11:29 says that God’s gifts and call are irrevocable – meaning He gifts them to us and doesn’t take them back.

But some of us never get to even taste or experience the fullness of what God has for us because instead of trusting His timing and His grand design, we try to enact our own.

We tend to think we know what is best. We push our own agendas and plans along, regardless of the obstacles we face. But what if some of those obstacles have actually been placed there for our good? I know, it sounds counterintuitive to say that. But the truth is that when we face setbacks or obstacles while running the race God has given us to run – before trying to charge through them or plot a detour around them – maybe we should stop and ask God why the obstacle is there.

Some obstacles are definitely attacks of the enemy, meant to intimidate or discourage us. Some are simply there to test our endurance and patience or to teach us to overcome. But sometimes, I believe God places obstacles that will alter our path altogether to keep us from entering into something He has planned for us before it is time. Even if we were headed in a “good” direction or trying to do something that we felt called to do. Sometimes the obstacles are there because God needs to do some foundation work before we are able to handle the weight of whatever is ahead.

When you build a house, you don’t start with the walls or the roof. You start with the underground work – the foundation. The important infrastructure for the support of that house has to go in first and be laid well if the house is to stand the test of time. Sometimes, God gives us a peek at the blue prints ahead of time. He plants the dream or the vision for what He has planned. But that doesn’t mean that the house will be built the next day. It can be months or years ahead before we see the full spread of what was on the blueprint become a reality. The question is, will we submit to the building process, even with delays and obstacles, or will we abandon the build before it gets to completion? The answer to that question lies in how well you Trust the Architect.

I’ve had a lot of opportunity to think about timing over the last few months and especially since returning from Kenya and what I have discovered is so humbling. I realized that the timing of this trip was perfect. In. Every. Way. Because of the waiting time, I learned valuable skills and lessons, grew in character and faith, and was better equipped to serve on this trip. Not to mention that I got to experience it all with my son…no words are sufficient for how amazing that was and how much this experience has deepened our relationship. What I gained along the very long road to seeing this “house” built was learning to walk in a deep and abiding trust in the Faithfulness of the Architect and a willingness to say “yes” when He speaks. And looking back now, I wouldn’t change a thing.

So, my friends, I will leave you with these final thoughts. If you have a calling, a dream, a vision, a “peek at the blueprint” that you feel God placed on your heart, but you haven’t seen anything coming to fruition, don’t give up. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in the steps you take. Learn to be obedient in the little, seemingly insignificant things He asks you to do. Be faithful wherever He has you currently planted and in whatever season you are in.

Not sure you actually heard from God? Ask God to confirm His word to you, seek godly counsel, and ask people that you trust to pray for God to give you guidance. But most importantly, seek Him! Because in drawing closer to Him and learning His heart, we learn to hear His voice more clearly.

Just remember – not every blueprint is meant to be built today. There is a kairos moment God has planned for you. Trust His timing. It’s always perfect.

Until next time…