God’s Timing

Despite our best attempts, we cannot speed up time (at least, not outside of science fiction for the time being, though I am waiting for a T.A.R.D.I.S. or a time turner).  Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent extra time helping my wife to care for our girls.  And with each second I see them in pain or discomfort, I wish I could speed up time and have them be healthy again.  And how many of us experiencing distress pray like this, ‘God, if you could hurry up and act.  Please’?

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In the Thursday night study last week, we talked a bit about the patience and love required to be a caregiver.  It was a delightful conversation; and hard to have.  The sum of our conversation was: ‘As God loves and cares for us, so it can be with us and our roles as caregivers to others; yet, filled with the love of God it is more endurable.’  Nonetheless, there is still a part deep within us that would really like God to ‘hurry up and act.’

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In the Gospel according to John, Jesus is met by a man who was born blind (John 9).  The whole story takes a whole chapter.  The disciples early on come to him and ask, “Who sinned such that this man was born blind; his parents or him?” (v. 2) Jesus’ answer is that this was not a matter of any of them sinning. Rather, it is so that God’s glory might be done.

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I won’t solve the deep question of theodicy (why bad things happen) in this short reflection.  However, what I hope that you hear is that God is always there working, even if we cannot see it.  Could we see all of God’s work in creation? (Genesis 1) Could Noah see God working in the storm and drying up the waters? (Genesis 7-8) Or what about God’s people waiting for a return from exile (see Isaiah & Ezekiel) or the birth of the Messiah?

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With our girls sick over the past few weeks, and I wish I could speed up their healing by moving time faster; would I trade the snuggles, or the story times, or bath time giggles?  As we’re caring for others, God invites us in faith to experience the slow patient work being done.  We cannot move time faster, like we’ll experience that Saturday night.  Rather, may we think on what we pray in our Lord’s Prayer, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  May we wait and pray and act with God’s love as we wait patiently for Spring about to bloom.  Amen.