I had one of those days last Sunday. We had just rolled over to Daylight Saving Time. I had my annual rant about how I hate time changes. It was, of course, a Sunday, so I went to church after one fitful night where I dreamed about trying to set clocks ahead and about how awful I would feel all day with less sleep. One of those days, right?
God, however, had more for my day than just my annual grumpy. Instead, He spoke to me several times as I listened to the message Pastor Laura brought. It was from 1 Kings 18, about Elijah being told by God to go to King Ahab and gather all Israel to Mt. Carmel—that included the prophets of the false gods Baal and Asherah.
Three things touched my soul profoundly. The first was that God’s timing is perfect—even when it comes through difficulty.
God opened my heart and mind to show me His perfect timing. I thought I would pastor The Way for many more years. I was walking three miles a day, had tons of energy even at 72. In fact, someone in the congregation called me the “Energizer Bunny.” Then in a matter of weeks that changed, and two auto-immune diseases struck. Fatigue and pain became a constant companion.
At the same time, God was calling Pastor Laura to be a senior pastor.
As I look back, God’s timing was perfect. I do not know if the transition to Christian Faith Center (CFC) Middleton would ever have happened had it not been for my getting out of the way and Pastor Laura stepping in. I do not know if we would ever have had the opportunity to reach the lost of Middleton like we will now, except for having CFC adopt us.
This was decidedly one of those Romans 8:28 times. “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” [Romans 8:28 HCSB]
