“Trust in the Lord’s timing; he knows what’s best for you and your family.”

 

I have heard this statement often and, without a doubt, is a bold testimony from individuals who have had to wait upon the Lord’s timing and were blessed because of their patience and trust in Him. Every time I hear stories that include this theme, I feel in my heart an overwhelming sense of assurance that what they are telling me is true. However, why is it that when it comes to my life, I have a hard time holding on to this truth?

 

Ever since I was young, I’ve loved planning. If a competition is important to me, I am the kind of person who plans two months ahead just to make sure I will have total control of the situation. I love the feeling of being in control of things.

 

But sometimes, life reminds us that we are not always in control of things. There will be moments when we have to put our faith in the Lord’s timing. I learned this truth to a greater degree, when I decided to settle down with my husband.

 

Suddenly, the dream job that we both wanted was given to someone else, our desires for a child had not yet been granted, and the question of where to truly settle for good, was left hanging in the air. The future looked bleak, at least for me.

 

My mother loved to remind us of President Thomas S. Monson’s words, “the future is as bright as your faith.” I had faith in the Lord, and I had faith that He has provided us with a wonderful plan for the future. But trusting in His timing was another story. It was just so hard to wait.

 

I remember that Christmas Eve, my heart overflowed with heaviness, anxiety, and hopelessness for the future. The plans I had for myself and for my future family were righteous and important but it seemed as though they were out of reach. The people around me seemed to have the desires of their hearts granted; were my hopes and dreams not right? I poured out my heart in prayer asking for more faith to trust in the Lord’s timing. With tears in my eyes, I asked the Lord if I was not worthy of His promised blessings. “I am your daughter, right? Why is it that the plans I have set are not falling into place?” After a heartfelt prayer, I was prompted to open a General Conference talk from Sister Neill Marriott entitled “Yielding our Hearts to God.” A particular line from her talk struck a personal chord with me:

 

“I have struggled to banish the mortal desire to have things my way, eventually realizing that my way is oh so lacking, limited, and inferior to the way of Jesus Christ. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. Can we love Jesus Christ and His way more than we love ourselves and our own agenda?”

 

Right then and there, I realized that all along, it had been about “my” plan and the timing “I” wanted. After reflecting on this talk, it dawned on me that I had never tried to ask the Lord what He has planned for my family and I. During the process, my faith that the Lord’s timing was the best and that I needed to wait upon Him wavered. I was too preoccupied with the thought that “my” plans were not working out, which led me to feel sad, angry, frustrated, and bitter. I failed to realize that I needed to trust more in the Lord’s timing.

 

After that humbling experience, I still had little struggles with being faithful and positive about His plans and His timing. But as I learned how to put my faith in His timetable, I was able to see the many blessings that I never saw before. The blessings may not have been as extravagant as what some other people around me received, but they were many and they were a testimony that the Lord was absolutely mindful of his faithless daughter. From that experience, I became a witness that the Lord truly knows the blessings He plans to give us; sometimes, we just have to wait.

 

There are times when we just have to wait for that perfect job to come, in order for us to support our family without having to worry every month. Often, some of us need to wait for healing. Many of my single friends have to bear with faith the years of waiting for their eternal companions to finally come into their lives. At times, an ever-trusting parent needs to wait for their children to come back to the fold. Life is filled with moments of waiting and trusting in the Lord’s timetable. Delaying our plans isn’t always easy, but it teaches a powerful lesson and helps build our faith.

 

I add my testimony to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s when he said:

 

“Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.”
I know that the Lord’s timetable is the best. There are still some things on my bucket list that haven’t been given to me but I know that if it is according to His will, He will provide. He knows our past, our present, and our future, therefore, He knows what blessings to give us for our good. Let us have faith and wait upon the Lord.