If she was wearing a watch, that might have been a routine
accessory she reconsidered after the experience she and her family had one
summer day in 1975. Diane Ball and the other five members of the family
probably are reminded, every time they hear or sing “In His Time”, what three small
words really meant the day they popped into her anxious spirit on a California
road. What does a person do when two
conflicting events have him or her between a vise, and the tick-tock counts
down, or alternately has a swinging pendulum to underscore the march of time?
Would it surprise me or you if another person said both events could be accommodated?
‘It’ll work out’, or ‘If He intends for you to accomplish both objectives, just
sit back and see how He does it’. See if you think Diane might have those words
on her lips now, after what she experienced as a 34-year old.
It was vacation day number one in the Ball family, and Diane
had everyone on a tight schedule. The launch of the Ball spouses, Jay and
Diane, and their four children in their vehicle for a vacation was upon them.
But, not everything nor everyone is always controllable, as Diane was reminded
that day. Jay had a maintenance emergency at the conference center where he and
his wife both worked, delaying their departure by over an hour. Normally, that
might have been a minor irritant, except that Diane had a speaking engagement
over 90 minutes away, and just half of that time to get there – an impossible
circumstance. Or, so she thought. As the trip finally began, a fuming Diane
asked God for serenity, as she knew no other solution to resolve what her
insides were telling her. Exceptionally, this day, another inside inhabitant
within Diane gave her some words – the very words of “In His Time”. Little did
Diane suspect that these words would be used that very afternoon, and to a
group whose plans had luckily – or providentially? – been delayed, coincident
with the delay in the Balls’ departure. Diane didn’t know her words would ring
so true the very day she penned them. She shared them with the crowd to whom
she spoke, a spontaneous decision she must have felt by that time was also in
His control. One wonders how the rest of the Ball vacation proceeded that
summer!
As holiday season is upon us here, is it a time crunch for you
to accomplish everything in your planner? Plan that trip, pack that luggage,
shop for those gifts, and try to work in a little relaxation! Can one really
plan for a tranquil moment? Diane must have been asking herself that plenty,
especially with a busy husband and four kids. She may have thought her whole
life was too densely packed, if you examine her words closely. She says she
wanted to see His way ‘every day’, not just during a holiday, or a vacation.
She ached for Him to show her the beauty of His time year-round. Or, even
life-round. Think He’s got your time planned out for you?
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