Timing is Divine

One of my favorite never heard of movies is Noises Off. It is based on a play that is a farcical tale of a stage production gone wrong. The best part of the story is the amazing comedic timing that takes place as things going on back stage inadvertently interact with things going on onstage. It is truly side splitting comedy.

Recently I was thinking about God's timing because it seems so often that I find myself saying how funny God's timing is. This weekend I found myself saying that again. The weekend services were supposed to include testimonies from attenders about different areas where they had to face the fact they couldn't handle it all on their own. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your point of view, the person who was giving a testimony on Sunday could not on Saturday. So some what last minute I had to fill in. Normally a speaking moment on stage is no biggie for me as I can talk about most anything - exhaustively in fact. However I was faced with the fact that I had to share on a topic I was anything but comfortable talking about. I can handle it all. I don't need help. Never let them see you sweat and all that. At least that's what I tell myself on most days. Sure I could go on stage and say something wise and insightful (that I borrowed from someone wise and insightful) or I could be vulnerable and talk honestly. For some strange reason, I went with the latter. I talked about a particular relational struggle, which basically was an indicator of a larger pattern, of trying to not trust God with my relationships and handle it on my own. It was very difficult for me to talk about that openly, but incredible good timing. I needed that reminder, as I constantly find myself slipping back into that pattern, and repeatedly push away the very people I need. And of course I stop trusting God and His timing.

It strikes me that timing is something that we credit comedians with and good financial planners and athletes, and a host of other things. But we often complain about timing when it comes to God, because He rarely operates by ours. I still find it difficult to really have faith in God's timing. But His timing is Divine because He can see what is going on back stage and onstage and somehow it all works for the best. I need to trust that, and from time to time, I need to be reminded of it.