The Always-Wrong Timing Issue

Scripture: Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. Luke 8:41-43

Observation: As Jesus returns to the Galilee region, he is sought out by many, and in this circumstance the stories of two females merge. One is a poor older woman who has spent everything she has to try to heal her long-term health issue, and the other is a young girl from one of the finest families in town who is sick and dying. These might be considered just two events that occur simultaneously by coincidence, except for two facts Luke highlights in the narrative. Both involve a timeframe of 12 years.

Diving deeper, there are many aspects of these two characters and their shared timeframe that compare and contrast them. The young girl is the daughter of a synagogue leader and has likely spent her entire 12-year life in and out of that facility, however the older woman is permanently ceremonially unclean and thus barred from synagogue for these 12 years. The death of the young girl would be a tragedy as 12 years is such a short life, yet the woman bleeding and weakened for 12 years represents a very long and prolonged hardship.

In other words, for one person, 12 years is a period of time filled with joy and ease and closeness to the Lord, and therefore is well understood to be far too short of a time. For the other person, 12 years is a period of time filled with shame and pain and isolation from the Lord, and therefore is well understood to be far too long of a time.

While there could be many obvious and nuanced elements of these two females and how they are interconnected by Luke's narrative, this one lesson - a commentary on human perception of time and thus by extension our opinions about the Lord's timing - seems noteworthy. The same timeframe can be both far too long or far too short of a period of time ... and all would agree it isn't the 'right' timeline.

Application: My son - a diligent and responsible young man of uncompromising faith, with a master's in computer science and four years working at one of the most successful software companies in the world - is now 10 months unemployed and without any prospects on the horizon. It's unexplainable. He has had professionals work with him and coach him on everything from resume building, to interview techniques, to search best practices, and he barely gets any response while applying for 12-25 jobs per week. He has run through unemployment insurance, spent his savings, cashed out his stock awards, and is now facing the reality of needing to sell his house. We pray, we cry out, and we all collectively hear nothing from the Lord and see no progress nor hope.

We are sludging through a "God's timing" issue, and frankly ... I absolutely don't understand it. It is top of mind and central in our hearts, and we just don't know why the Lord would take so long to step in and help resolve this earthly matter. Why is this taking so long? What could the Lord have in mind as a plan by placing this hardship and worry and strife on this man of faith?

Today I realize ... we often say over and over and over again that the Lord's timing is perfect, but we have to remind ourselves of that because we - as humans and as Christians - often think over and over and over again that the Lord's timing is always wrong. In hindsight, we get it and see how great it was. In real time, it feels like hopeless neglect.

I feel everything from hurt to anger to frustration to hopelessness to sadness to emptiness for my son's situation. I pray daily, and those prayers now include challenges to the Lord, asking 'why' even more than I ask 'please'. If he wanted to strip away my son's earthly retirement funds, take away his house, and force him to move somewhere else in the world ... he really could have just said so and my son would have complied gladly. I don't understand this approach and this prolonged process.

I have faith. My wife has faith. My son has even more faith than both of us combined. Today, God's timing appears wrong. I will try to adjust my thinking.

Prayer: Lord, you know we cry out to you for action and hope and intervention. I admit I do not understand your plan at all. However, I have faith, and I have hope. Please show up soon. Amen.