I come from a fantastic line of women in my family who really know how to cook.  My mother taught me to prepare great meals at a very young age...fried pork chops, homemade mashed potatoes, fried corn, macaroni and cheese with REAL Velveeta, and fresh biscuits.  I better stop there.  My mouth is watering already...

 
I sorta pride myself as successor of these great cooks and bakers in my family.  A few years ago, I had a night of setback.  I call this my chicken story.

 
I decided I wanted to bake two whole chickens for supper one night. The rotisserie at Walmart always made them appear so delicious and appealing as I passed by and although I had cooked chicken every possible way in the past, I realized I had never baked a whole chicken myself.    

 
I retrieved a great recipe from the internet and purchased every necessary ingredient.  Diligent to follow every step, I basted the chickens with natural herbs, set the oven to 350 degrees and loaded it with what I was sure to be a family favorite.  

 
My starving family waited in anticipation as the two hour cook-time slowly ticked away.  Everyone’s favorite side dishes were carefully prepared to compliment the great entree'.  After calling everyone to the table and humbly blessing this food, which was sure to fill our stomachs with utter fulfillment, I pulled the perfectly, golden chickens from the oven.  At last, we sat together at the table to partake and to my disappointment the chickens were RAW!  I could not believe my eyes, nor could I understand!  My mind retraced every step I had taken.  I KNEW I followed that recipe to the T... and was so careful to do everything just right.  How could these chickens APPEAR so ready and yet be so NOT READY!  Needless to say, we could not eat the chickens!  Nor, have I attempted to bake another one since.

It was in the early morning hours that my heavenly Father awakened me and spoke.  “Jeneen, I want to teach you something through the chickens.”  I said, “Sure, Father, what?”  He replied, “You know how you did everything you were supposed to do to those chickens to yield a fabulous return?”  I said, “Yes, Lord.”  He continued, “And, to the natural eye, they appeared ready, correct?”  “Yes, Lord.  They sure did.”  “That is how life is at times, my daughter.  You may think it is time for something that you have been praying about for a long time to manifest.  You may have done everything you know to do to bring this new thing about.  The circumstances may even appear as perfect timing, BUT IT’S JUST NOT READY YET!”

Being willing to roll with God’s timing is crucial.  So often in life, we pray about things and cannot understand why they have not come to pass yet.  Frustrated, our circumstances may appear ready and our patience dwindling, but God knows the perfect time to bring things to pass in our lives.  Sometimes, we may think we are ready, when HE KNOWS we are not.  If God did everything we asked Him to do in our own timing, most of us would fall flat on our faces in failure because we were not properly trained nor prepared for the task ahead.

Learn to trust God’s timing.  When He seems late, He isn’t and when your timing seems right...It Isn’t!  God alone is omniscient...the all-knowing, wise One!  He is aware of things we cannot even know or understand and He is following His own carefully constructed plan for your life.

May Psalm 37:5 encourage you today.

 “Commit your way to the Lord, Trust in Him.  And He shall bring it to pass!”

(IN HIS OWN TIMING OF COURSE...HaHa)

Blessings,

Jeneen