Daily Reflection Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

How many times have we heard “it’s all in God’s time.”  “It will happen in God’s time.” How often do we struggle with “God’s time.” I know I do, and these days I have been bantering back and forth with God about some of his timing. Why do we struggle with the notion of God’s timing?

In both the first reading and today’s gospel we hear about two women who become pregnant. Both were believed to be barren and even too old to have children and yet here they are being told that they will be with child and their children will change the world. I personally might have been a little like Zechariah. Questioning instead of accepting, wondering instead of believing. I would have peppered Gabriel with a million questions. I am sure that Gabriel would be telling me to hush this is about God’s timing not yours. I can even see myself, as Elizabeth, saying to God it is about time I got pregnant and then of course thanking him for the gift of the child I was to have. 

That is the beauty of having faith, that even after we banter with God, we realize that it is God’s timing. Now, that is not to say we do not have questions, but if we have developed a prayerful, loving relationship with the father we will know that whatever is happening is for the best. 

For the rest of this week, we will read about Elizabeth and Mary. We will share in their joy and blessings. We will see two faith filled woman accept God’s timing. Maybe our prayer for the days leading up to Christmas can be to surrender to God’s timing and then we to can proclaim “the Lord has done for me at a time he has seen fit.”