Giving Thanks Daily: Day 700 of Giving Thanks

“He told them, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world." ~Acts 1:7 (The Messsage)

God’s timing…when it’s HIS time, you’ll know!!! So many of my pastor’s sermons say and many of my Christian friends tell me. Everything happens in God’s timing…IT’s His perfect timing. Everyone talks about God's timing...God's timing this and God's timing that...and unless it's in a sermon, the average person says "When's God's timing going to come in my life"....and I have known to be one of those sort of Christians…questioning God like Habakkuk and wondering when His timing will come….and, what it will hold!!!

Guess what happened when I woke up this morning. God showed up…God's timing is here in my life, right now. Over the past few years, I have been studying to obtain my Bachelor’s degree in Religion. Over the past few months, I have felt led to obtain my Pastoral Credentials. However, I have been feeling unsure about this path. Why? Because, gasp…I have a past…and it isn’t so pretty. Now, my past is an open book…it’s a part of me and it has helped me become who I am today but it isn’t what defines me. However, when I think of Pastors, I think of people without sin, people who have the “perfect” relationship with God. That’s the outside…that’s what the world and Satan wants me to think because that way, I will compare myself to them, put them on a pedestal and forget that they are human beings with struggles and pasts just like mine. God never calls the “perfect person”. He calls the people He wants to do what HE wants them to do. Jesus called Saul….a man who was known to persecute Christians, a man who spent hislife killing Christians…yet, Jesus chose this man to follow Him and take His word to all the ends of the earth. If Saul can do it, so can I.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” ~Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)

Back to God’s timing. God knows my insecurities and He Knows my hesitations. He understands my questions and slowly, He has been revealing His answers to me. In addition, He has been bringing people into my life for reasons I could never understand until recently. Last week, as I was studying the doctrine of the church I am pursuing my credentialing with, a myriad of questions arose. At first, I was offended by the doctrines, then upset about the doctrines. I didn’t get them. However, as I opened my heart to see what God wanted me to see it donned on me. God knows my path. He knows the work He has for me. He knows the rules and doctrines of the church He wants me ordained in, so He will also enable me to understand and possess the things that this church requires of me. It’s God’s plan for my life, not my plan for my life.

Over the course of a week, I was able to go to my new family with the questions I had and ask them for their thoughts. Some of my family members are affiliated with the church I am unsure about and others are not but the one thing they all have in common is their knowledge, love and dedication to God and His word. The group was divided, but not in a bad way, not in an angry way. We are all learning and growing in Christ and what I learned is that God reveals things to us all at different times in our lives.

My eyes were opened and God spoke and He answered questions I had been asking for 4 years!!! In addition, This morning, He quieted the mumblings of insecurity about this choice in my heart and in my mind. One of my new family members revealed something to me today that just blew me away and totally confirmed that I am on the right path. God’s timing has come in my life. He is here.

“Surrender yourself to the LORD, and wait patiently for him. Do not be preoccupied with [an evildoer]who succeeds in his way when he carries out his schemes.” ~Psalm 37:7 (GOD'S WORD Translation)

I didn’t wait patiently, I have to admit. I have been like a little kids at times, stomping my feet and not wanting discipline. But, my heart always gave in. Over the past few years, I have learned so much about myself and about my most wonderful God. This education takes time. I equate it to teaching a child how to drive. At a very young age, kids love to sit on their parents lap and pretend to drive the car. They observe and they always think they are ready. But we all know, it’s more than just the mechanics and physical actions that make you a great driver. There are skills and life lessons you have to learn first, not to mention drivers education class. You don’t just get into the car and start driving. So many people will be affected by your driving, your family, and, the other people on the road. No, it takes time to learn. We start out on our mothers milk and then move up to solid food.

“I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong.” ~Hebrews 5:11-14 (MSG)

I think being a Christian is a lot like that. It takes time to grow in God. Sometimes, there are lessons we don’t want to sit through and there are things that happen that we just don’t agree with. Everyone has an opinion and will share it with us, whether it be for Christ or against Christ. But, if we have the proper education, guidance and mindset, we will know what is right and what is wrong. We will know whether or not to turn right or turn left. And, when we are growing in our faith, God will bring us the solid food!

Lord, thank you for your discipline. Thank you for not giving up on me even when I wanted to give up on myself and my dream. Lord, thank you for your loving discipline and forgiving me when I rebelled against it. Thank you for all the moments, sweet and bitter, good and bad, joyous and painful, that led me to this morning and the feeling and conformation that you have brought into my life. Thank you for showing me that things that other people talk about on stage and TV can happen to me. Thank you for showing me I am on your economy and not the world’s. Finally Lord, thank you for showing me how to be in this world but not of this world! God, you ROCK! ~Amen