When God's Timing Seems So Slow

We’re counting the minutes, hours, days and now weeks. For some of us, we're three weeks into this time of isolation. And we keep asking “How much longer?” Only to hear "At least through April 30th!" That’s not surprising God at all. He’s been listening to us ask those questions long before this pandemic. “When will this baby get here?” “When will my job promotion come?" “When will my financial breakthrough come through?” So, it’s not surprising God at all that we wonder when our lives will get back to normal again.

Before this pandemic, I was driving to an appointment – running a little late. I had to come to a screeching "slower than molasses" speed. A covey of bicyclers were ahead of me on a two lane road and they had no intention of getting into a single line so that other vehicles could pass them. Mind you, they were going at record speed for bicyclers, but not to the speed this pistol-packin'-mama needed them to go. After all, I had things to do, places to go and people to see!

Once my patience was stretched to its limit, I completely lost it and started yelling, “Hurry! Hurry!” Good news. They didn't hear me. My impatience didn’t speed up the procession at all. How many times have we approached God’s timing the same way? Like right now. But God isn’t bound by time. He rarely operates at a pace that pleases us because we want the answer, the problem solved, the check in the mail, the baby arrived, and all other matters – to hurry, hurry, hurry!

But God's perfect timing....is well....perfect. We might as well just breathe because, in God’s perfect timing, we’ll be right where He planned for us to be. Remember Sarah, Abraham's wife? She had trouble with God's timing. Not with bicyclers or donkeys in her road, but a 25-year wait for the baby God had promised her (Genesis 12-21). We know how she took matters into her own hands by giving her maidservant Hagar to her husband, and the two of them had a child. Even our modern-day television dramas don’t hold a candle to what ensued! It turned out “helping” didn’t help, and the promise still wasn’t fulfilled.

But, in God's perfect timing, Isaac, the child who God had promised 25 years before, was born. God was not late. God called Isaac's birth-day "the appointed time." (Genesis 18:14) "Appointed” means “predetermined; arranged; set.” Isaac’s birth came at the exact time God had planned all along!

Perhaps we all hear our own unbelief and questions about God’s timing? I hear mine. "When will this be over, Lord? Aren’t You just a little late? " God may seem like a covey of bicyclers in the road, slowing down our plans and our dreams, but He knows the entirety of our story from beginning to end. He also knows how our story weaves into the lives of others. We may be tapping our watches, but He is never late. He may seem slow, but He’s always right on time. God Himself holds the appointed time in His hands.

For all who are disappointed about delayed weddings, missed proms, vacations, interrupted plans, remember God's ways are higher than our ways and "Oh, the plans He has for you. Plans to prosper you and not harm you, to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. We can relate with each other on the waiting part and we can relate with each other on the impatience part, too, but let’s stand together in confident hope! God is faithful, and we can rely on His perfect timing. Though it's not easy in this wait, we can trust in Him and rely on His ways, His thoughts and His perfect timing.

You Are Now Entering Your Mission Field

I heard the story of someone who had such a heartfelt desire to open a Food Pantry, but it seemed door after door slammed for his great and worthwhile idea. Then he heard someone say “Why are you waiting on all the right answers and all the right buildings and all the right team? Why don’t you start right now with volunteering at the Food Bank, or collecting food and items to take to one of the charities here. You’ll be planting seed for your dream.

Quite often, we have the plan all figured out and THEN, we invite God to come along and join in that plan. But, God is the Pilot NOT the Co-Pilot of our lives. I love this photo I posted here today. “If God is your CO-PILOT, then swap seats." From personal experience, I remember time after time that we put together the plan, made business cards, brochures, signs and got the offices. The problem was, we forgot to bring our CEO in on the grandiose ideas. Sometimes the “good” ideas aren’t the “God” ideas. We usurped our ideas instead of getting His plans and ideas. When He pilots the ship or airplane, we can be sure He will position us for the most success at the right time.

Payton Wallace and Alexia Wallace, my grandchildren, flew to Guatemala yesterday with 50 others to minister there for a week with their team. They’ve entered their mission field. Last night, our Life Group volunteered at James Mission – a beautiful ministry here in Tulsa for Foster and Adoptive families. We sorted and organized clothing items and placed them into their designated bins that will be apportioned to those families in need. We didn’t have the original vision for James Mission, but the Reyes did. And, God impressed upon our Life Group to be a support to them. We entered OUR mission field.

The good news is, as soon as we walk through the door of our opens, we are entering our mission fields. Missions: an important assignment carried out for going out into the world and spreading faith and good news. Jesus said in Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone." I love St. Francis' words "Preach the Gospel at all times, and sometimes use words".

What is our mission field? I believe it is to everyone that we encounter on a daily basis. The clerk at the store, little children, the homebound, the family next door, the yard man, our own families & friends, our neighbors -- just anyone we have the opportunity to BE A BLESSING to and share the LIGHT of Christ with.

Perhaps, we need to develop a Mission Statement for our lives that keeps us focused on our calling to missions. In Genesis 12, God made His covenant with Abram. He told Abram that He will make him into a great nation and that He will bless him. And then, what God says to him in the last part of verse 2 just may be our Mission Statement, too. "You will be a blessing."

That's it -- whatever we do, wherever we go, whoever we encounter, our mission is "TO BE A BLESSING". Isn't that a great way to live? On purpose, outside of us 4, and no more -- TO BE A BLESSING here in Tulsa, Oklahoma, there where you are -- in your school or office building or community club or PTA or YMCA -- BE A BLESSING, and in doing that.....we will be IN OUR MISSION FIELD!!!