The Timing Is Never Right

I've been hearing over and over again lately, "The timing is just not right for..." You fill in the blank. Sometimes it's making an awkward phone call, sometimes it's losing something valuable (or even not so valuable), sometimes it's a broken dish or a burnt meal. For our family, it was the loss of a beloved aunt just before Thanksgiving. Susan, my husband's aunt, and I had become quite close, especially since I've been able to lunch with her often now that I'm home with my kids.

She was the kind of person that never forgot a birthday(even her great-nephew's and great-niece's), always was excited to see you, always loved a great laugh, always took the time to talk, always told you how much she loved you. She was a person I always knew I could count on, always knew I could get an honest opinion, always wanted in my corner, and always wanted to see.

She's the kind of person that if I said "the timing just wasn't right" she would have responded, "Yes, that may be true. But what's done is done, what are you going to do about it now?" Instead of finding the lemons in a glass of lemonade, she always tried to help me make lemonade out of life's lemons. For her, timing was all perspective. For Susan, God's timing was perfect, even though she couldn't always make heads or tails of it.

Now, I've come to realize that though her death was too early (she was just 59) and the timing wasn't perfect, in God's great plan the timing was more than perfect. Every future Thanksgiving will come with some sadness but with great thanks for the family we are still able to celebrate with. Every Thanksgiving will remind me that those around me are each unique, each special, and put in my life to love. God has shown me that tomorrow may not look the same as today, so make some lemonade, share it with friends and family, love and enjoy it, and give thanks for those whom we are blessed to live life with.