In God's Time...

We were just recently reflecting about how many things came together in God’s time and not our own (including this blog).

Departure—We had hoped to leave in September for 2011 rather than September of 2012. However, last year we had no idea that Linda’s sister would be getting married in August of 2012. Going overseas a year later than we had planned gave us the opportunity to participate in all of the wedding celebration. Linda was able to attend the Bridal Shower, Bachelorette weekend, Rehearsal, and Wedding as Karen’s Matron of Honor. The “delayed” time also gave us a chance to see all of our grandparents again right before we left (Eric’s during a family vacation in Colorado and Linda’s at the wedding).

The Money— One of our big stressors in our last month in the U.S. was trying to sell our car. We had one offer through Craigslist that was over $2000 less than the value of the car, and we struggled with the decision of whether or not to just accept the loss. During our prayer time, we felt like God was telling us to wait and be patient. When no more offers came in and we discovered that the previous buyer was no longer interested, we began to wonder if we had waited too long. Then, less than a week before our departure we heard from the sister-in-law of one of Eric’s high school classmates. Three days before we left, she test drove it, and the day before we left, she bought it for more than the previous offer! Because it wasn’t an anonymous Craigslist sale, we didn’t have to worry about whether or not the money was good. We would have preferred it if the sale had happened sooner, but God answered our prayer in His time. Like manna in the desert, sometimes the provision is no more and no less than needed.

The Healing— The Friday (5 days) before we left Linda pulled a muscle in her back. “Not good timing God.” Being Labor Day weekend, Linda’s doctor was unavailable and we weren’t sure who else to call. We had so much to do in terms of errands and packing, not to mention moving us and all of our stuff across the world. On Sunday, Linda’s pain level was making her wonder whether they would even be able to make the trip that week. She asked people to pray for some significant healing by Wednesday. That day a friend mentioned that one of the members at our church is a chiropractor. He was willing to come into the office on Labor Day and fit her in the next day as well, all for free! With his help and God’s healing touch, Linda was significantly improved by Wednesday and able to endure the LONG journey overseas. This was yet another reminder that God provides.J It is not always when we want it or how we expect it, but it happens. The question is, “Do we recognize it?”