Perfect Timing

I just got home from my first book club. We talked about Twelve Clean Pages by Nika Maples. It is AMAZING. She has an incredible story about having been completely paralyzed at the age of 21, in a coma for 15 days, hearing everything and unable to move or respond. She went on to not only move again, walk again, speak again but accomplish many great things. In 2007 she was awarded Texas Secondary Teacher of the year. There is something in this book for everyone. It is a must read.

Learn more about Nika here, nikamaples.com.

Our book club got me to thinking about timing and my life has been planned with such great timing. I can look back and see God's hand turning us in the right direction to bring us exactly where he wants us to be.


It was perfect timing when my husband became a police officer. It was ten years in the making, and we couldn't understand why it took so long. But, as I look back, it was perfect timing. When we bought our house, our income was much lower than it was after he was hired. That has allowed me to stay home with my children. I know if we had bought more house I couldn't have fulfilled my dream to be at home with my children. The timing also allowed us to develop relationships that we would never have developed if he had been on a midnight rotation when we were first married.

It's also perfect timing that he's not home every night. Of course, I miss him. But, being home alone with nothing to do at night has allowed me a lot of time to spend in the Bible. I've now developed the habit of being in God's word every day. If my husband worked a 9-5 job I'm not sure I could have had the time to grow as I have. I think God is using this season in my life to grow me for whatever is next. While I am in a very busy stage of life, I also have great lulls in time. If you find yourself with down time, take advantage of it. Don't try to fill it up with something. God may just be preparing you for what's coming next. I learned this from Laurie Cole in "There is a Season."

It was perfect timing when we found our new church. I was just leaving my full time job and ready to dive in to some new ventures as a stay at home mom. Of course, our church search and my quitting my job both came later than I wanted them to. But, they came in perfect timing. The two events happened together and have been so meaningful to my growth as a Christian.

None of these things happened in my timing. In fact, according to my schedule he got hired 10 years late. We should have nights together by now. We should have searched for a new church a couple of years sooner than we did. I definitely should have quit my job the day my son was born, not well over 2 years later. Fortunately, my timing is not perfect. Fortunately, I am not in as much control as I like to think I am.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9