A Thought for Women — It’s all in God’s perfect timing

A Thought for Women — It’s all in God’s perfect timing

By Jean Roberson

It’s the most frustrating experience. We all have it. You get asked for your input but when you give your opinion, it is ignored. Then when someone else says the same thing days later, the advice is taken as if it has never been heard before. You sit there and wonder why your input was not accepted in the first place.

Why is it that you can offer an idea repeatedly to a person but he or she doesn’t seem to hear it until someone else says it? Is it because he or she doesn’t value your input or respect you as a person? It is far too easy to take these situations and walk away feeling devalued and unappreciated.

But before doing that, think. Have you ever been burdened and taken an issue to God? When God spoke to you, were you ready to listen? Did you find yourself making excuses for why you could not follow through with God’s direction?

Situations in which people don’t seem to hear us have very little to do with how someone feels about us. They usually have everything to do with the timing. Just because someone asks for your input doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is ready to hear what you are saying and act on it. Sometimes that person asks for help as a way of expressing frustration, not readiness to act. This is similar to what we do when God speaks to us. God speaks but we are not really ready to hear or act on what is said.

While God’s timing is perfect, ours is not. When faced with a problem in our relationships, we work hard to be sure we understand the issues and the people involved. We stand back and work toward a positive solution. However, we don’t always stop and evaluate the timing of what we are saying. People don’t always respond to the best solutions and ideas until they are personally able to hear and appreciate what is being offered. Timing is everything.

In your conversations, committee meetings and personal attempts to be helpful, weigh what you have to offer in light of the person’s ability to really hear and appreciate what you have to say. Is he or she under a lot of stress at the moment? Is he or she hurried? Is he or she focusing on another issue right now? Perhaps the best course of action is to wait and talk about your idea when he or she is not under so much pressure, has a few minutes to really listen and is focused on the issue you are talking about.

A Takeaway Value …

It’s not enough to be right. We have to be right at the right time.

EDITOR’S NOTE — Jean Roberson, MSW, LCSW, is a ministry consultant for national Woman’s Missionary Union. She serves as team leader for the adult team and director of Christian Women’s Job Corps/Christian Men’s Job Corps and International Initiatives.