Saturday, March 12, 2011

TENACIOUS TIMING

Definition:  Timing – a judgment of when to act.  The ability to choose or the choice of the best moment to do or say something.

I can regularly be caught saying the words, “God’s timing is perfect,” or, “Once again, God’s timing was perfect.”  I must admit however, we need to have eyes of anticipation if we indeed are going to see how God is perfectly timing the encounters of our life.

For example, take Sunday afternoon, March 27th, 5:15pm:  It really was quite simple.  As my daughter and I drove to church for the evening service, she handed me a Scripture Rock CD that I had not heard in years.  You see, because this daughter is the youngest of 4, the closest sibling to her being 6 years her senior, she has been deprived many hours of listening to truly child oriented CD’s. 

I popped in the CD and found myself listening to the words of THE GREAT COMMISSION:  “Matthew 28:19 & 20 that’s the great commission, Matthew 28:19 & 20 says to go soul fishin.’”  As I said, God’s timing is perfect and I couldn’t believe it because I’d just finished reading a book by David Platt entitled Radical in which he spends much time going over exactly what the great commission means and how it applies to EVERYBODY not just missionaries.  He also spends much time focusing on the implications of what it means to really live “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.”  Of course, I took this moment to discuss with my youngest what it meant to really live a life like that.

The next moment we found ourselves listening to yet more words from another song THE GREAT COMMANDMENT:  “You’ve got to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength with all your soul, and love your neighbor as yourself.”  Hold on; STOP the CD, more time to discuss what this really means.

After pulling into the church parking lot, we entered the building at which point my daughter pleaded for the opportunity to “help” in the nursery.  Seems she thinks being with the wee ones is more “fun” that attending service.  I must admit, it was a little disappointing to have enjoyed such rich conversation on the way to church only to have her abandoning ship once we walked in the building.

With as much parenting skills as possible, I advised here that she would be attending service.  She was not pleased.

That evening we had the privilege of listening to a message from Chuck Orr.  While there were many excellent points made throughout his sermon, I was startled by two of his closing comments.  They centered on:  THE GREAT COMMANDMENT & THE GREAT COMMISSION.  As he spoke those words, my daughter and I made eye contact.  Each knew what the other was thinking.

1.    A Book
2.    A Song
3.    A Conversation and finally,
4.    A Sermon

What are the odds?  I’m no statistician, but it seems to me as though God’s timing is indeed perfect.  All we need to do is pay attention.  If we anticipate His involvement in our lives, we will not be disappointed.  The amazing thing is:  I am only one person and God is intimately involved with my life.  You are yet another individual with whom God is also intimately involved.  All you need to do is pay attention.