Trust and Timing

I was talking with a friend today about revelation and we were comparing notes.  We discovered that we do not have the same spiritual gifts.  We could each look at each other and say "I want that."  As I share my experiences on my blog I would hope that no one would compare themselves to me and the experiences that I have.  I know that's pretty impossible since I look at others lives and wonder how they can be so much more put together and amazing than me.  We all do it.  The thing is that we all have different gifts and talents and no one gift is better than another.  They are simply just different.  Need proof?  1 Corinthians 12

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

 14 For the body is not one member, but many.

 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

As we were discussing the different gifts we all have and turning weaknesses into strengths.  I said something that I didn't realize that I knew.  I love when that happens.  We are teaching the kids in seminary that when you learn something when you speak or teach you know the Holy Ghost was the real teacher.  Somehow I think we believe, without knowing that we do, that when our weaknesses become strengths that they go away - thus making it a strength.  It's simply not the case.  They don't go away.  Our capacity to deal with the weakness is increased and magnified and we are able to work with the weakness - making it a strength.  If all of our weaknesses went away, it would take with it all of the things that make us different.  The gospel and the remodeling of our souls is not to make us the same.  Insert here lots of talks on the subject.  Again it's something that we know, yet seem to forget on a daily basis.  

I came to a realization today about how the Lord works with us despite our weaknesses.  My friend today shared about she always picks people up along the side of the road (which as you know I've only done once and thought I was surely to die).  She didn't have a hit over the head moment telling her to pick the woman up - because she doesn't need it.  The Lord doesn't have to smack her (ever so lovingly) over the head to get her to act.  This particular day it was raining.  The woman got in, started crying and telling her that she was trying to get to work and she had been praying for someone to pick her up, her financial situation was horrible and life was pretty down.  When the woman got out of the car my friend realized that there had been a 10 dollar bill sitting in the middle tray and was mad that she hadn't been inspired to give it to the woman.  How could she be so out of tune she wondered.  

Next story.  Yesterday I had a thought come into my mind that I should get flowers for one of my seminary students.  I thought she could use the lift because she had broken things off with her boyfriend of over a year who she realized was not for her because religion was coming between them.  Well, I could never make it happen to get to the store and make the visit yesterday.  I found out this morning when she would be home from school, but then didn't make it over when I thought I would because my lunch date had run long.  When I got around to it, she wasn't home.  Finally right before dinner I was able to go back over to her house to make the delivery.  When she saw me she started to cry.  This had been a horrible day.  Really horrible.  The timing was spot on.

What do we need to know from these 2 experiences.  Trust and timing.  If my friend was inspired enough to pick the lady up in the first place, if she was supposed to give her money too, she would have thought of it.  She did exactly what she was supposed to do.  God's purposes are not ours.  In my scenario, the Lord seems to know that he's got to forewarn me.  Give me some time to prepare.  One time it took me 2 weeks to work up the courage to send an email to someone that was on my mind.  When I finally sent it, it was perfect timing.  Same with the flowers.  I was inspired yesterday so that I could work it into my schedule.  Would it have been nice to get the flowers yesterday?  Yes.  Would she have known that the Lord loved her and was mindful of her pain?  No, that could have only been accomplished today.  

What it comes down to is a fine balance between thinking too much of ourselves and not enough.  We just need to relax, have some faith, and trust in the Lord and His purposes and timing.  Easier said than done. We have to trust that we are enough.  What we have to offer is exactly the right thing to help the people who are placed in our path and the talents of others are exactly the right thing to help us.  It's the whole "body" moving together as one.  Hmmm, I wonder if I'm a foot or a hand or an eye........ ;0)