Timing IS Everything

Time (noun): A particular period or part of duration; a proper season; an opportunity.*

The Book of Esther in the Old Testament contains one of my favorite stories and one of my favorite people. What's not to love about a good Jewish girl who wins the ultimate of beauty contests? So what if the grand prize was a rather moody, fickle, and conceited man (my opinion only)... her testament of courage and faith outshines the infamous golden scepter of the king. I also admire the get-to-the-point kinda guy her Uncle Mordecai was:

Do not flatter yourself that you shall escape the king's palace any more than all the other Jews, chapter four and verse thirteen.**  In other words, Get over yourself, Esther (purely my translation).

Continuing on with verse fourteen: For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows but that you have come the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?

I go back to this story a lot because I think it's a great example of God's timing and plan. Just this afternoon I was thinking about some things that I shouldn't be thinking about (shocking, I know) and I decided the best way to readjust my way of thinking would be the Word of God. As I read through some of my favorites, my path crossed Esther more than once. I eventually closed my Bible and continued on with my day.

Coffee. Nap. Cats. Kids. Husband.

And that's when the issue of time came up.

Time as in,

We have to wait that long?
What are we gonna do 'till then?
But that's not part of our plan!

In the midst of the rising panic within me, however, a still and quiet voice spoke to my heart:

Have I let you down yet?

I kid you not when I say that in that very moment, the sweetest sense of peace rushed through my mind, my body, my spirit. The calm that took place was so immediate that I had to sit down, take a deep breath, and once again raise my white flag of surrender. Even so, I still can't make sense of this whole timing thing. On the outside, this latest setback is the last thing we need. But on the inside...

On the inside I know that I know without a shadow of a doubt one thing to be certain:
He has not let me down. His timing is everything. There is a proper season.
And He knew I would need to be reminded of Esther earlier today.


Thanks for the head's up. =)



*   Definition courtesy of my beloved 1892 Webster's High School Dictionary.
** Scripture Verses taken from my beloved duct-taped and well-worn Amplified Bible.

Can You Touch Your Toes?

Flexibility

Extent to which a person can cope with change.

I am sitting outside a middle school waiting on the youngest. I’ve got a carline in front of me that extends further than what my eye can see and a marquee sign staring at my face. Every so often the school changes what they call their “character word” and gives all passersby a lesson on what we should expect in ourselves and other people, I suppose. All week long I’ve been staring at this word. Flexibility. And all week long I’ve been thinking unkind thoughts to myself.

Well, maybe not unkind thoughts, but definitely thoughts that make me go ewwww. Flexibility is good, I know, but it sure can hurt sometimes. In the physical sense, I’m not flexible at all. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to touch my toes without bending my knees. Ever. No matter the weight, no matter the age, that is just one thing I’ve never been able to do. I can’t even remember the last time I tried it. I must have given up on that a long time ago.

Flexibility of the mind, ahhhh… now that’s a whole other state of affairs, isn’t it? How flexible are we when it comes to things we don’t like? Do we easily shift to accommodate the needs of others, or do we stand unmoving no matter what? Are there times when flexibility is necessary and other times when making a stand is what's needed?

Oh, the thoughts I think while waiting in a carline. I forgot my nook at home or else I would be deep into George Orwell’s 1984 right now.  As it is, I’m watching other moms in minivans park illegally trying to cut into the carline and then get mad and rev up their four-cylinder motors when the parking police tell them to move. (Granted, I don’t know for sure that parking police exist, but someone ahead of me is playing the role well).

And to think all this is taking place right next to the flexibility sign.

I have a good friend that I use to teach with. She would always say she was fat and then go on to explain:  f = flexible;  a = adaptable;  t = teachable.  I think of her advice often. When you think about it, it’s a pretty positive way to approach life. It reminds us that we all have something to learn; we’re never quite as good as we like to convince ourselves that we are. I know that’s been my lesson the last year or so. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  I thought I had everything figured out. Thank goodness the Lord loved me enough to show me I didn’t have a clue. He teaches me every day on what it means to be flexible. Some days I like it, some days I don’t, and some days I completely miss the boat.

I may not ever be flexible enough to touch my toes, but I intend to be flexible enough to finish this race and finish it well. Even if the mom in the minivan behind me is honking at me to move up a whole five feet. These carlines can be pretty intense.

Maybe next month’s character word will be patience.