Life is all about timing, showing up at the right moment, being there when you’re needed, not getting things done too early or too late.
If you arrive early, people will begin to depend on you rather than discover creative solutions on their own.
If you show up too late, people will consider you undependable and turn to others for support.
So, you work on the timing with great care, planning carefully and making every last possible moment count — and then you’re called a procrastinator. Others trust you but are nervous about your timing, certain that one of these times you’ll forget — and they will fail.
I’ve decided God is the world’s greatest procrastinator.
Follow God, and you’ll quickly be over your head. Pray for help, and He will come through — but only at the very last possible second before the dam bursts, the bank repossesses the house, the grasshoppers devour the field or the enemy breaks down your door.
Life would be so much easier if He came on my schedule: sooner … earlier … like right NOW!
But He responds slowly, in His time, knowing we would never experience faith if He just responded on cue.
For example:
Alfredo worked with Leo and Jessie Halliwell on the Amazon as pilot, nurse and evangelist for one of their white Luzeiro boats.
One rainy evening, after preaching in an Amazon village, he invited folks to come for prayer if they had any health issues. A young widow rushed forward.
“My children are dying with a terrible disease and fiery fever,” she said.
Alfredo guessed that the children had typhoid fever, a disease that was rampant on the river and a disease for which he had run out of medicine. In fact, getting more of the medicine had become the theme of his prayers for many days.
Alfredo discovered both children were unconscious and burning with typhoid fever. He showed the mother how to apply hot and cold compresses to lower the fever and promised to return if he could get the medicine.
His walk back to the hotel was a constant prayer — prayer in a discouraged voice.
“Are you the man from the white boat?” The question came from a well-dressed man in the hotel lobby.
“Yes, I am Alfredo from the Luzeiro.”
“Come up to my room right now.”
Alfredo knew this was a favorite ruse of river thieves. If he went with this man, he might be robbed of all he had and possibly even killed.
Yet, deep in his heart he felt God whisper, “Go.” Upstairs, the stranger let him in and then relocked the room door.
“In my office last week,” the man began, “I felt a strong urge to go to our warehouse and prepare this package for a man in a white boat. I brought these for you. I have never done anything like this before. I hope the gift will be useful.”
The man, who identified himself as the regional manager for the Pfizer drug company, handed Alfredo a package stuffed with thousands of pills, the medicine for treating typhoid.
“I thanked him profusely,” said Alfredo, “and then prayed thanksgivings while running back to the woman’s house, where we were able to save both children.”
God’s procrastination (His divine timing) requires great planning by the angels from supply. It also helps to develop the creative relationship of faith God desires to enjoy with us.
