God’s Timing is Everything!

Well, my floors are all scrubbed, the fridge cleaned and restocked, and the bathrooms reek of the lovely scent of Clorox. Oh, and the gifts are all adorned with ribbons and bows. So, that makes me just about ready for the big day. I’m excited about spending time with my family, which is why I guess I got to thinking about Chevy Chase and his Christmas crew.¹

At school, I always remind students that if they think it’s just their family who is crazy, they need to adjust their spectacles because every family has issues. There is a Cousin Eddie in every family; if you look closely, you might even discover that Cousin Eddie is you! I am pretty sure I am the Cousin Eddie in our family. Sometimes, I feel like I’ve abandoned the Cousin Eddie persona and plunged right into the role of Aunt Bethany! My favorite thing about the movie is that no matter what, the Griswolds push full steam ahead.

This week, I heard someone on the radio point out the world’s busyness. Folks are rushing here and there; some are jolly, while others are grumpy. I even reminded my sister and daughter this past week that Christmas is the same day every year. I told Brena she had eleven months and twenty-four days to prepare. The truth is I was also Christmas shopping yesterday as well. LOL! It’s easy to throw advice out to others, but nine out of ten times, that advice fits me, too! I was still frantically searching for the best gifts yesterday because it’s just who I am. If Christmas was in the middle of July, I guarantee I would be shopping two days before, still searching for that “one” gift.

Timing is everywhere. My family and I have received specific times to be at certain houses and assignments on what foods to bring. I believe this type of “assigned” time is pretty easy to fulfill. All I have to do is follow someone else’s orders. In fact, I actually like following directives. I like when things are clear, and I know how to achieve them. I love having a plan and a to-do list because marking off items is satisfying. I like feeling accomplished and successful.

But what about when we don’t know when to be somewhere or what per sa to bring? Well, it’s frustrating as all get out! It’s hard to put one front in front of the other when I can’t see the to-do list, and I can’t check anything off. During these times, I feel like a hamster hung up on his wheel, and all he knows to do every day is to get back up, get back on his wheel, and run again. But there is also joy in not knowing because it causes me to depend on someone other than myself. Not knowing if my book will ever come to fruition or if I will ever have the blog I want makes me get back up, sit down at this computer, and ask God to use my fingers.

I’ve always joked and said I was out blueberry picking when God handed out patience because I didn’t get but a drop. I heard a preacher say that when I was a little girl, and I’ve never forgotten it because it describes me perfectly! I thought by now, I would have the book completed and be able to write more often. What I’m having to do is to listen to God say, “Not yet.” It’s hard when He says no or that we must wait. It’s hard when we want something so desperately, and it isn’t happening. It’s hard to be a hamster.

I wondered about Mary and how she felt about the timing of things in her life. I mean, she learns she’s pregnant by the Holy Spirit before marrying Joseph. She has Jesus in a filthy manger. I am such a clean freak, and I can’t even imagine having a baby where the animals were. I’m spoiled. My heart hurts when I think about Mary standing at the foot of Jesus’s cross. I thought about Jesus and when He asked for “this cup to pass from Him” (Matthew 26:39). God’s reply was not for Jesus to wait, but instead He responded with, “No,”

I cannot find evidence in the Bible of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus ever giving up. They struggled with the timing of things, and just like me, they probably wanted things their way occasionally. But whether God granted it to them immediately, later, or never, they did not lose their faith. In Hebrews 11:1 are these words, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I have faith that God is using this blog in the exact way He has planned instead of how I intended it to be.

When things seem bleak and unattainable, we must remember God is God! When things are frustrating and challenging, we must remember that God is God. In Jeremiah 29:11, He promises that He has good plans for us. Those plans may not be when I want them, and they may differ entirely from what I imagined. I cannot give up and stop getting back on the hamster wheel because if I do, I will never find out the plans. Jesus never gave up. Therefore, you and I must also never give up. So, pull those bootstraps back up and get back on that hamster wheel with me. We have a plan with a purpose, and we cannot give up.

Merry Christmas to you and your families. I love each of you and pray for a blessed, Christ-filled time. And, remember when the marshmallows burn black, and the ham is too dry, and Cousin Eddie really did not just do what he did; it’s not just you’re family. We all have things going crazy, too!

1. Chechik, Jeremiah S., director. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Hughes Entertainment (as A Hughes Entertainment Production), 1989. 1 hr., 37 min. https://wbshop.com/collections/national-lampoons-christmas-vacation.