Timing is Everything =]

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14

It's funny how God works. They say that hindsight is 20-20, and when it comes to the way God works, that's almost true. Even looking back, I can't always tell how God worked, but I can definitely tell that He was there. Whether I'm looking back several years, or just earlier in the morning, it's nearly impossible to miss God's unmistakable fingerprints on our lives.

Monday morning I woke up with a groan, tired and soooo not looking forward to class. Suddenly, I realized that I hadn't woken up to my alarm. I grabbed my phone, dreading the time that I feared it was. Yep. I had overslept. I yelled and leaped out of bed with speed that is only present at such a time. Fifteen minutes later, I had somehow managed to get ready for psych on time, and before I left my room I just stopped. I don't know why I thought to pray in that moment, but I did. I simply asked God to give me a better day than how it had started. And you know what? I had one of the best Mondays I have had in a while.

That night, as I lay in my bed waiting to fall asleep, I thought back over my day. I realized that it was certainly no coincidence that I had had a great day that monday. I had been tired, and c'mon-it's a monday! Who likes mondays!? No one, at least no one who also claims sanity. But, despite my strong dislike of mondays, I had a great day! I would be stupid not to credit this to God. How much better could life be if I remembered to invite God to be a part of everyday, not just the ones that start out badly? I think that Monday was God showing me how much better life is with Him.

So it was a great Monday, but what about the days that are just plain lame? They're bound to come, so how can I get through those? I can think of no better method than through my Creator. Isaiah 40:29-31 says, "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." There's my answer. God is the one who can take my sucky days and give me strength and vigor to face that day, and all the ones after it.

When I played Bible Bowl, Bill constantly told me, and other players, to play one game at a time. In the same way, football, basketball and other sports teams get in trouble when they look too far ahead to the "big game" and forget about the underdog. We all know that story. But it's hard to play one game at a time. It's difficult to focus on the here and now, what is going on today. It's so much easier to look past the struggles of today for that time that we "can't wait" for. While there is nothing wrong with looking ahead, planning, and preparing, we must not forget today and all the incredible opportunities God has placed before us today. Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." When we wait for the Lord's timing, that's when he can take our Mondays and turn them into good days, rather than just another day to get past.

I, like anyone, say "I can't wait for......" a lot. Usually it's just used as a common phrase used to show excitement, anticipation, etc., but I need to be careful to remember that God's timing is the absolute best in the world. All the planning and scheduling I can do cannot compare to God's perfect timing, and he doesn't even need a blackberry to keep it all straight! Earlier in Isaiah 40, verse 28 says, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom." God doesn't get tired, and we can't begin to understand everything that He does. Wow, why do I even try to keep my life straight?

When we wait on "the everlasting God," we allow for his perfect timing to take effect. When we give up our schedules and to-do lists, and ask God to make our day a success on his terms, we let Him work in our lives in incredible ways. As one who loves to make lists, asking God to make my day successful based on His plan for my life is quite a task. It doesn't mean that I don't do anything that day, rather, it means that I want God to work through me that day on His schedule. And when God has control of my day and I want to live that day on his terms, it is going to be a prosperous, fulfilling, and successful day. I may not get all my tasks done, but I might get to talk to an old friend. I might not get as much tv time, but I might get something meaningful written on here. Whatever it is, God can take my days and make them all awesome, if I can trust Him to make it what He wants it to be. Haven't you heard? He's the Creator of the earth! He alone can give me strength to face everyday, all the way to Sunday.

Isaiah 40:28-"Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out."