Good and Perfect Timing

 

When our children were young, we had an elementary reader with a wonderful story about a missionary pilot’s adventure in snow country. Happily, we had been blessed to hear the story from the missionary himself, at our dining room table, only a couple of years prior. Garland Cofield, supported by Grace Baptist Church, was for many years a missionary in Canada. He flew a small plane in order to reach people over vast areas of the country.

On an occasion when he was flying with one other man, they were forced by a snowstorm to land the plane in “nowhere.” Seeing a light in the distance, they walked to a small cabin, wherein they found a woman past 90 years of age. In their conversation, she told them she had been praying since she was a young girl that God would send someone to tell her about Himself. Chance? Coincidence? Happenstance? Not on your eternal life! Of course they were able to provide just what she needed and she responded appropriately.

This wonderful account gives rise to several questions, most beginning with, “Why…” Sometimes our “whys” may come from a critical perspective. Why did the woman have to wait until she was nearly at the end of her life to know Jesus? Why was a near disaster needed in order to bring the Word to her? In other words, why didn’t God do things differently and better, the way we might have done them?

If we absolutely trusted God with awe, we might ask the questions from the opposite perspective. Why did God bless this woman with the knowledge of Himself, in human understanding, “just in time?” Why did He honor Garland and friend with the privilege of leading this woman to Himself? Why did he show such grace and kindness to everyone in this thrilling scenario?

He tells us that He is the one who sends every good and perfect gift. Maybe, instead of evaluating every gift to see if it is “good and perfect,” we might just go ahead and regard those same gifts as good and perfect simply because they came from God. But the real point of my wondering is answered in 2 Peter 3:8-9.

“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. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (NIV)

God is in charge of time and he does not regard time the same way we do, as evidenced by this kind of event. Sometimes we rejoice with awe at God’s timing. But often we fidget, stress or grumble at that same God’s timing. The Source of both the gifts and their timing is more eternally significant than the fickle attitude of the recipients or observers.

I’m talking to a specific person here. You, with your fingers on the keyboard, the one typing these words, listen up. The rest of you may listen in if you need to.

 

--Lynda Shenefield