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God's Timeline versus Mine


John says often that he feels like we should still be in high school. It simply does not seem possible that we can be roughly one quarter of a century old, have "real jobs," be married, and own a house. We sometimes feel like time hasn't passed and we are still the teenagers who loved riding in his truck listening to country music, sharing coconut cream pie milkshakes from Sonic, and going out to lunch after church.

Regardless, I spent some time today with a friend from college who I don't see often, and suddenly I realized that time HAS passed. Reconnecting with a person or a place from the past can have that effect on you - helping you see how you have changed and things are different than they once were. I suddenly felt very different, and the person across the table from me was also very different from the girl I'd made many memories with at Berry. Nothing was bad between us - just unfamiliar. Spending time with her made it hit home that time has gone by and I've changed.

The concept of "time" itself is always changing, isn't it? Some days seem to tick by so slowly - children wait "forever" for Christmas, adults wait "forever" for a medical test result or a response to an email. Other days, time seems to race by and we rush trying to finish a project or find time to catch up with a friend. Time on Earth seems so confining one minute, and so infinite the next.

I'm intrigued by God's sense of time. The Bible says:

"For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night." Psalm 90:4

"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." 2 Peter 3:8

It's hard to wrap my head around the way God sees time. It's also somewhat comforting, because it means that it's ME, not Him, who is putting pressure on me to complete tasks within certain time frames.

I also have to remember that God's not working according to my timeline for my life. How could He, if a day is like a thousand years to Him? This means that I must choose to trust Him, yielding and submitting my plans to Him.

It's exciting, though, recognizing that He is controlling time, and then putting myself under His authority. That's the best place to be anyway, right?!

THAT is when I have to trust Him, and have faith that He is working things out on His schedule and that it's better than mine.

Photo: John and I in 2007... we HAVE changed and do look older now :-)

Comments

  1. AmyFebruary 21, 2012 at 2:02 AM

    awww, great blog! Thanks for the good reminder and perspective!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AmyMarch 17, 2012 at 1:10 AM

    I was going to comment on this- but I see I already have! I got something new out of it tonight! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

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