Perfect Timing

Yesterday, and dear friend and her husband treated me and my son to lunch after church. They had no idea that I was exhausted and—while I had just bought groceries and had plenty of food in the house—dreaded going home to make lunch. The invitation felt like a wonderful gift from God.

Last week, I found a card in the mail with a handwritten “I’m praying for you” note inside. While the friend who sent it thought she’d put it off for too long, the card actually arrived at the perfect time, when I needed to receive something other than bills in my mailbox.

Today, I got an e-mail from another friend, thanking me for a fun message that I’d sent her several days ago. Just seeing her name in my inbox and getting confirmation that she’d appreciated my attempt to brighten her day, started mine off on a bright note.

God’s ability to prompt friends to send exactly what I need at the very moment I need a lift, continues to amaze me. He knows when I need an invitation to lunch, a card, or even a reply. He knows when I need to hear a certain friend’s voice, read specific words, or see a familiar name. The most incredible part is that I usually don’t realize my need until I receive it.

We belong to a God who loves us so intimately that He knows what we need. In fact, He knows in advance when we will need kind words, an invitation, or even news that we thought was overdue.

Thank God today for the many perfectly-timed gifts that you have received from Him. If you are having a difficult day, pray that you will recognize when He sends something to turn it around.

You might also want to look at this another way—maybe God is prompting you to send a “I was just thinking about you” text, invite a friend to coffee, or be extra nice to someone who hasn’t been so nice to you. Ask God to keep you sensitive and obedient. After all, you might be the one He wants to use to send a perfectly-timed gift to someone else.