Timing

tim·ing  /ˈtīmiNG/  Noun

1. The choice, judgement, or control of when something should be done.
2. A particular point or period of time when something happens.

Perfect timing is rare - where humans are concerned. But HIS timing is always perfect. Think about these words for a moment. Timing. I believe there is a reason why God led me to read these words. I read this passage from Our Daily Bread earlier in the week, and thought what a powerful message. This morning I woke up, and the first thing I happened to stumble across - again - while checking emails was the passage above. TIMING. 

My past week was all about TIME. Every night I went to bed a a timely hour (11pm) so that I could get enough sleep. Every morning I woke up at a timely hour (6am) so that I could get ready for the day in a timely manner. I left my house on time - to arrive to school on time. While teaching small reading groups and pulling my students for math instruction, I closely monitored the time. At lunch and during planning, I was aware of the time. At the end of the school day, I would check the time to determine how long I had to plan for reading and then mathematics. At 6pm, I would leave the building to head home and keep an eye on the time as I cooked dinner, or watched television or did laundry. TIME. I can honestly say that my timing did not always work out in the manner at which I had hoped. I was late at least one of the days this week to work. There was a night that I went to bed later than usual to watch a television show. There was a time that I missed most of a meeting at work, because I had forgotten to look up at the time. Perfect timing is rare where humans are concerned. 

Can I tell you HOW MANY TIMES something occurred this week, that made me stop dead in my tracks and think, "Was that you God?" Whether it was the timely g chat message from a college roommate, or the unexpected visit from my best friend, or the surprise email from former co-workers about joining them for happy hour. Perfect timing is rare - where humans are concerned. But HIS timing is always perfect. So what am I to think when a friend tells me unexpectedly that she is pregnant (five weeks to be exact) and that she is considering terminating the pregnancy because the TIMING is not right. That she has to make her TIMELY decision before she reaches nine weeks. What am I to think? 

tim·ing: The choice of when something should be done

Perfect timing is RARE where humans are concerned. She made the choice to have sexual intercourse with her boyfriend without using ANY form of birth control. At least a month ago, she spoke of her desire to have children NOW. I have heard her say many TIMES that she wants to be a mom before the age of 25. I told her yesterday, "Be careful of what you wish for. You ask and you shall receive." I am so conflicted as to what to think or feel. I have always been pro choice, yet I held that viewpoint under the extreme belief that people who have abortions are rape victims. That these ladies should have the choice to choose whether or not they would like to keep the child. I truly never considered that women - who make the conscious choice to have sexual intercourse every day- should have the choice to terminate a pregnancy if they accidentally get pregnant and the TIMING is not perfect. 

I have no clue what my friend is going to do. For one thing, she has told far too many people that she is pregnant. For another, her boyfriend is extremely excited about the prospect of having a child. Either decision that she makes will have long lasting consequences on her life; and the length of time that these choices impact her life will be for eternity, of that I am sure. It is times like these that I wish she had a relationship with God. That I could tell her - although the timing is not perfect - perhaps God has a perfect plan and a purpose for this child's life. I wish that I could tell her, "All things work together for good to those . . . who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) I am not sure, however, that the concept of these words - the meaning behind them - would hold much weight for her. 

What I do know is: Perfect timing is rare - where humans are concerned. But HIS timing is always perfect. And all things work together for good to those, who are called according to his purpose.