The Fullness of Time

Today we received the final government letter that we have been waiting on so that 50 people can get their visas for Taiwan. I am so excited about this as we've been praying and waiting and I've formed about 100 different "contingency plans" of what to do with the students who are waiting on this letter...one of our students is on a visa where she can only be in the country 2 weeks at a time and has to go in and out every 2 weeks until this letter arrives. I've been thinking about this letter quite a bit. And today, the glorious news that it has arrived...there is still more work until the students have their actual visas in hand, but the rest of the process is possible, until this letter arrived we were staring at impossible.

But with all of this, I've been thinking about God's timing. In both Galatians (4:4) and Ephesians (1: 10) Paul uses this phrase "fullness of time" when he's talking about the coming of Jesus. When you think about it, from the time that Adam and Eve sinned to the time the Messiah and the promised redeemer finally arrived on the scene, that was thousands of years. And yet, it was at just the right time, not too late, not too early but in time's fullness, according to God's plan.

I know that God does things for a reason and I know he's trustworthy, but in our "instant" society when we can get anything we want when we want it with credit cards, microwaves, internet, etc. I forget this aspect of God in my impatience and my selfishness. God's timing is for our good. And it is always right.

Waiting is the test of trust...those amazing truths that I know with my brain, does my anxious heart also know it when the stress level rises? The lesson that I've learned in this whole process with visas on the base is seeing once again that God never lies and he is faithful. When we received the first news that visas had been denied and the base had a day of prayer and fasting, the overwhelming message was that we were to move forward and God was going to be faithful to us. We weren't even sure if having an SBS is possible...but NOT ONE of the students walked away because of visa complications.

Then came the news that the visas were approved (Yeah!) shortly followed by the news that we couldn't get the government letter because of some issues on the government side. In all of this, I kept thinking about what God had promised....we have 57 students in Taiwan with hearts wide open to know God and his word more. He is good. He is faithful. And his timing is always right.

I find it ironic (or just the way of God) that the first approval news came the day before SBS started. Now, this letter went through the DAY that the students were buying tickets for their first visa renewal run to Hong Kong (some are only on 30 day landing visas, waiting for this letter). To me, God was clearly speaking that though there may be a time of waiting, he does not fail and he will always come through.

Dependence upon God and trust in his ways is something that I think is always a challenge when I have my eyes fixed on the circumstances. I've been thinking about that letter a lot, but only when I fixed my eyes on God did my heart find peace.

These visas have been so much work and have taken control of large portions of my day. But the lesson God is teaching me and being on this journey of faith is invaluable.

God is faithful and he is trustworthy...his plans come in the fullness of time.