Trust in God’s Timing
By Celine Stoco
In life, we often wonder about when things will happen and how they'll unfold. The idea of God's timing has fascinated people for a long time. It's about when God chooses to make things happen in our lives. But here's some important information: God's timing operates on a plane far beyond our human comprehension.
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”
God’s Timing is Different
If we understand that God’s timing is different from our own, things such as how the Israelites walked for 40 years in the desert until they found the Promised Land or how God created the world in only six days, make more sense.
“All phenomena occurring in the universe bear fruit only after the lapse of a certain interval of time. All things are designed to reach completion only after passing through a set growing period.”
With this understanding, the only thing we need to do is live as we want, and things will happen, right?
The answer is no.
Portion of Responsibility
It is essential to understand that while God has a different perception of time, we also have our portion of responsibility to fulfill. I can use the example of how preparing to find a spouse has made me think more deeply about the subject. I remember being 14 and thinking about the Marriage Blessing. The only thing I thought I needed was to meet my partner, which shows how I did not consider the importance of commitment. As I grew older, I realized I was ahead of God’s timing for me. If I wanted to be ready when time arrived, I had to first work on myself.
“Human beings, however, are created in such a way that their growth requires the fulfillment of their own portion of responsibility, in addition to the guidance provided by the Principle.”
I started asking profound questions. “What is the meaning of the Blessing to me? What are my values?” In the end, I had to figure out who I am, so that when the right time and the right person comes along, I will be ready to receive them.
Preparation is Everything
The parable in Matthew 25:1-13 can be applied in this context. Jesus tells about the ten virgins who were awaiting the arrival of a bridegroom for a wedding feast. The virgins are divided into two groups: five are wise and five are foolish. While the wise brought extra oil the foolish did not. When the virgins heard the cry that the bridegroom was coming, the wise virgins had the extra oil to keep their flames alight, the foolish ones on the other hand did not. As the foolish ones left to buy oil, the bridegroom came and welcomed all of the wise one’s who had been prepared. He closed the door to the ones who were late for his arrival.
To me, this parable shows the importance of being prepared for the right timing.
God Needs an Invite
Now that we understand that God’s timing is different than our own, and that it is also dependent on how much we are prepared to recognize it, another key aspect that should be taken into account is that we need to ask.
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
God is always with us, and He sees what you are going through. However, it is difficult for Him to act if you don’t tell Him that you’re ready and open to His involvement.
How will He know what you need if you don’t ask?
It is the same as when I was a kid. I had a soar throat and was feeling under the weather. I cried to my mom and she came running to examine me. She asked what was wrong and the only thing I did was continue to cry. How was she supposed to know that I had a soar throat if I did not tell her? It is the same for God. Sometimes He sees people suffering and He wants to help but we need to take the first step to ask for His support and guidance.
Leave Space for God to Work
How we ask things from God is important. For example, my parents have always told me that having preferences for a spouse is not a problem, but that I must keep in mind that if I have too many criteria, I close the space where God can work. We must seek God out but trust that God’s vision for our life is much bigger than our own.
In essence, a partnership with God is necessary if we seek to achieve our and God’s goals. We must prepare and strive to become the best version of ourselves and be aware of the opportunities that come in our path. By cultivating patience, faith, and resilience, we open ourselves to the blessings of His timing.