Within A Day...

I am so encouraged right now... and a bit nervous! But my faith in God has never been stronger. His timing is almighty. This post is largely going to be a testimony to His faithfulness, especially in the area of timing.

1) June 2004: I read a news article telling of a man going through some very difficult circumstances due to physical "deformities," things completely out of his control. It spoke of how he felt like his condition was God's judgment upon him. He was on the other side of the world, but I was moved to pray for him, to pray that God would send someone to encourage him and speak to him of Christ's acceptance of him, no matter what he looked like. 

EXACTLY A YEAR LATER....

June 2005: How often does the same newsletter carry an article about the same subject an entire year later, mentioning it no other time during the interim? I believe it was God's answer to my prayer. Same newsletter; same guy. Completely different attitude! Christians had risen up to minister to this man, he was receiving clothes, tools, even a bike and a car specially adapted to his condition! There was no other reason for such a repeat to happen, I think, but for myself and all those who perhaps felt led as I did to pray for him.

2) August 2009: I had just confirmed during an opportunity to help with a summer camp in Oklahoma how much I loved teaching little kids, and how I was actually better at it than I initially thought I would be. I returned from the camp excited to perhaps begin tutoring privately somewhere locally. Trouble was, I had no idea where to start. AND I didn't have my driver's license quite yet.

WITHIN A MONTH....

September 2009: A friend called up and asked if I was interested in tutoring her two daughters (first and third grade) in reading and writing--my two favorite subjects ever! We worked out a schedule, decided on a curriculum, and I basically started teaching about mid-month (right after acquiring my driver's license), my first tutoring job ever!

3) October 2009: After only a month, the job came to an end. She called me up and said that she appreciated what I'd done, but that she could basically "take it from here." That was on a Friday.

WITHIN A WEEK....

The next Sunday, another friend called up and asked if I was available to tutor her daughter! I might not have been able to cover both positions at the same time, but I was definitely available at this time! I started on Monday, and for 4 hours a day, 4 days a week, I tutored a very bored 5th-grader, and I made learning fun for her, and kept her on track. This job continued for the entire school year, by which time my own college studies were picking up steam, so it was just in time to take a break and focus on my studies.

4) October 2008: This was the summer I almost died. (Okay, not really) But still... God is so faithful. I was having the headache/shunt trouble I posted about earlier, and was gearing up to have to forfeit being able to go to Mexico with my family. I prayed hard, asking God to please either make it possible (which seemed highly unlikely), or give me peace about staying home and living with whatever it was that I had.

WITHIN THE WEEKEND....

We received confirmation from a neurosurgeon in Seattle (the "best of the best in the Northwest," we'd been told) that he would be able to perform the surgery on the following Monday, and I woke up feeling so much better that God in fact fulfilled my prayer and I was discharged, packed and ready in time to leave with my family to Mexico, without having to worry about headaches or constant pills!

5) February 2013: I have been jobless since the beginning of last summer. (Not counting volunteering once a week for the after-school program at the local homeless shelter) I'd been "hunting" and "trying to look for" jobs since then... off and on... discouragement and a sense of inadequacy frequently got me down... Prospects turned me down...
I'd finally landed an interview with the local school district to perhaps become a para-educator/substitute teacher, and got as far as the reference-check.... hit a snag because references were stuck in phone-tag with the hiring manager.... Finally got around to giving my references the HM's e-mail, since that seemed to be the contact avenue that worked.

WITHIN A DAY....

Two things happened within the last hour:
1: The HM at Vancouver School District sent me an acceptance e-mail, along with the instructions to prepare for my orientation tomorrow morning at 11.

2: The same person for whom I tutored the then-5th-grader (now she's in 7th/8th grade) just called and asked if I could once again fill the position of Accountability Coach for her daughter.
Boom. My week, pretty much booked for the time being. (And not a moment too soon!)

To the year... To the month... To the Week.... To the Day... To the Hour...

There are no coincidences. There is only the Inexorable Timing of God.