You’re Not Too Late – At this time’s Christian Residing

By Rebecca George

“You need to go for a hike?” my buddy Sara texted, as we each wrapped up an exhausting week at work. I’d grown up within the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, and I had come to savor the sweetness and splendor of East Tennessee, so a climbing day with Sara sounded good! “Positive,” I stated, inspired to know that, not less than for some time, I may overlook about what had been plaguing my coronary heart so deeply—singleness. Mountaineering has at all times finished that for me.

With the home windows rolled down, we drove down the curvy roads that led to the trailhead. After I stepped out, I took a sluggish, deep breath of mountain air, and we started strolling contained in the nationwide park. My toes pressed into the path, making our manner throughout gravel, mud, leaves, and some streams as we adventured alongside Center Prong path at Tremont.

I’d been climbing loads of occasions within the Smokies, however I’d by no means walked this one. The extra we walked, the extra particular it started to really feel, though I wasn’t certain why. My coronary heart couldn’t presumably have identified what God was orchestrating.

Sara and I each introduced immense ache and frustration to the hike that day, and what we each wanted was the sound of the stream and the path beneath our toes. We talked just a little, however by way of an excellent little bit of the hike I prayed silently:

God, it appears in every single place I flip, everybody round me is experiencing the life I want to have. You created marriage for a cause, and I now you’ve got given me the will to share my life with somebody. Please present me the place my longings don’t align along with your plan for my life. Assist me flip to you in belief after I need to HURRY to the following part. I urge you to present me endurance, God, and to remind me I’m NOT TOO LATE. I’m proper the place you need me to be.

That day, and many who adopted, my coronary heart couldn’t course of why life wasn’t “taking place” for me the way in which I needed. I used to be so weary of ready. I wager you’ve got felt that stress, too.

What I didn’t know was that God was already placing His plan into place. Early within the day, Sara and I had stopped at a bench that neglected essentially the most stunning waterfall. As a result of it was late in the summertime, the forest was bursting with vivid inexperienced leaves. As we took a break on the bench, having fun with the view, one other hiker provided to snap an image of us. Though it was a seemingly mundane second on a sweltering day, years later I’d be taught what a big marker the bench would develop into in my very own story of trusting God’s timing in a hurry-up world.

After I posted that photograph of me sitting on the bench to Instagram, I moved on. Monday got here round and life returned to my regular, hurried tempo. I usually thought of the great thing about that day and the way God had met me on the path.

A while handed and I started relationship my (now) husband Dustin. He referred to as in the future and stated, “Are you sitting down? I’ve despatched you a pair footage, however I have to inform you a narrative to clarify. Don’t take a look at them but.” He proceeded to inform me that years previous to my hike with Sara, he had gone fishing within the mountains by himself. It was raining, and he was actually combating persevering with to hope that God would give him a spouse. He was exhausted, felt too late, and really puzzled if and the way he would meet his partner in the future.

He hiked up one in every of his favourite trails, fished within the chilly dreary rain, and as he hiked again down he stopped at a bench. He sat and prayed for his future spouse as he watched the waterfall within the distance. Standing as much as go away, he stood behind the bench and thought to himself, “I’m going to take a photograph of this bench in religion that in the future I’ll deliver my spouse right here to point out her one of many locations the place I contended for her in prayer.”

“Now, take a look at the images I despatched,” he stated to me on the telephone. I pulled up our textual content thread and there earlier than me have been two pictures of the identical bench. One, the photograph of me on the hike with my buddy that I’d posted on-line. The opposite, the one he’d taken a few years earlier on that fishing journey. Out of all of the picturesque stopping locations within the Smokies, God had led each of us to the very same place to spend time in prayer for our future partner.

The identical waterfall.
The identical bench.
The identical wrestle.
The identical prayer.
The identical God.

I usually marvel what God was considering as He watched us each, years aside, on that path praying for each other. I prefer to assume He thought, “Each of them haven’t any clue what I’m about to orchestrate for them.”

That’s the gorgeous journey of trusting in an omniscient God, isn’t it? He is aware of all, has the whole universe and the cosmos below His cautious management, and but He cares about essentially the most intimate, even minute, particulars of your life. Bringing us collectively would’ve been sufficient for me (no bench required). But God noticed match to write down a narrative that bears proof to His sovereign energy.

The next February, we climbed into his [Dustin’s] automotive to take a drive. As we made the flip that might take us to the nationwide park, my coronary heart began beating quicker. We wound our manner across the stunning streams and lovely views. “He’s throughout me, He’s in every single place I look, and every new day is however a brand new web page in God’s coloring e book,” stated our queen (Dolly Parton). I prefer to assume she was on a drive like this when she penned these phrases.

We pulled into the all-too-familiar gravel lot, neither of us saying a lot. Phrases have been pointless, seeing how we each knew why we have been there. We walked for some time, no different sound aside from water trickling within the streams to our left and the gravel crunching below our toes. His hand in mine, we walked the acquainted path till we each sighed, wanting up forward as we noticed a well-known bend that led to the bench. I sat down and Dustin precariously knelt in entrance of me. He reached into the pocket of his Filson waxed canvas jacket, a staple in his wardrobe, and pulled out a black field. You realize the one. He stretched out his arms, gently opened the field and with tears in his eyes stated, “Will you be my spouse?”

I whispered “Sure,” and he put the ring on my finger as he stood as much as sit beside me. We prayed and thanked God for His reward, requested Him to bless our marriage, and rejoiced in how He penned our story.

God is devoted as a result of and despite your highest mountain high and lowest valley. His presence and luxury are a sort buddy as we navigate disappointment and grief, simply as His pleasure and pleasure are our companion as we fastidiously give Him glory for a subsequent step or answered prayer.

I lengthy to know each, don’t you? I lengthy for His kindness within the harvest and His care within the drought.

We are able to’t hustle or drive our manner into God’s favor. We are able to’t fear our manner into His provision. We are able to’t manipulate His methods simply as we will’t earn His approval. If you’re feeling too late at present, keep in mind this: You might be below His care, in His arms, and He’s working in your behalf.

Rebecca George is an creator (Do the Factor and You’re Not Too Late), podcaster (Radical Radiance Podcast), coach, and speaker whose biggest pleasure in life is discipling others to pursue their passions in a manner that builds the Kingdom. Her work has been featured on retailers akin to LIFE At this time, HomeLife Journal, and Moody Radio. In her free time you could find her working exterior, writing, or attempting a brand new recipe with 90s nation taking part in within the background. Rebecca and her husband, Dustin, dwell in East Tennessee. You possibly can join along with her on IG at @rebeccageorgeauthor or at radicalradiance.dwell!