Trust God's Timing
A few years ago, I quit my job without a clear plan of what I was going to do.
I followed God. I heard His voice, knew it was the right thing to do and walked into the new season full of trepidation and faith. During that time, I found clients who needed writing or editing work done and started building my own little business. It was hard work, and money was not flowing as freely as I would've liked it to. Yet, the Lord continued to faithfully provide for me in ways I never would've imagined.
One of these projects was editing a friend's book. I charged her way less than I probably should have because I wanted to support her and her dream of being an author.
She never paid me for it.
Honestly, I was livid and went through all of my excuses and reasons why I was right to be upset with this friend. I would get into this feedback loop of annoyance, frustration and feeling like I had been taken advantage of — I wasn't in the greatest of places. I had finished the work on that project during a particularly difficult time where my bank account balance was far closer to $0 than I am comfortable with, and even though it wasn't a lot of money, I really could have used it.
In the throes of the emotion, while I was processing this with the Lord, I distinctly remember Him telling me to just drop it. Cue all of my reasons why I was right.
"But God, it's a business, I can't just do that…" or "But God, she should honor our agreement…" and, of course, "But God, it's just wrong.”
Eventually, all of my excuses dried up and I let the money go. I decided to trust that God knew what He was talking about, even though it was a pretty terrible business decision.
Though it was a monumental decision at the time to trust God when I was struggling, over time, it became less of a big deal. And, eventually, I forgot about this particular project completely. That is, until a few weeks ago.
I was sitting at my desk working away when I saw a strange email come in: I had just received a payment. I clicked on the notification and was shocked when I saw that this friend who I haven't talked to in nearly two years paid me for the work I did…with interest.
For me, the money is nice to have, but the lesson I took away from this is much more important. God's timing is always perfect and even when things seem bleak, we are never forgotten by Him.
This experience with my friend wasn't about the money; it was about trusting God's character, His voice and His timing. He saw me two years ago when I was struggling financially and stressing out, and has provided for me in ways I will probably never fully understand. Just as He sees me now when I am itching to start a new project or pressing for a situation to change. He doesn't delay because He's mean or upset with us; His timing is perfect even though it almost always differs from my own timetable.
Those things I want to happen now aren't lost on Him; He just has a better plan. He sees so many more things than I will ever be able to, and His character is so good that I can trust in the waiting. Even when things seem bleak or we feel overwhelmed, we aren't forgotten by Him, nor are we left alone. He is ever-present and always faithful in the little and big things in our lives.
I'm learning to trust His perfect timing instead of rushing ahead or lagging behind. I'm learning to walk in lock-step with Him, something I hope to perfect with each and every passing year. Thankfully, He is gracious and kind to us even in our impatience. He is constantly beckoning us into deeper relationship with Him, which often means trusting Him as we wait on Him. What a privilege we have to learn these precious lessons with Him!
