In the Fullness of Time

Since Josh was rule-fived, I have been riding an emotional roller coaster. I was trying desperately to be brave and strong and have faith that this was the Lord's best for us, but...we had yet to receive any particular information from the Orioles, and from all I read on the Internet (which I am beginning to believe can do more harm than good at times) indicated that there was uncertainty as to the location of the O's minor league spring training. It seemed that they would be in the same location in Sarasota for '09, but I couldn't quite tell for sure. Without any tangible information, I didn't feel comfortable seriously looking for apartments. So it was uncertainty, after uncertainty, after uncertainty. Always a fun place to be, especially when it makes your face break out and gives you an upset stomach. 

"Just let us hear something by Christmas, Lord," I prayed, over, and over, and over again. 

Then, in the fullness of God's time, Monday, December 23rd arrived, bringing a fat manila envelope with the Orioles logo and an URGENT label on the front. Finally, the contract, work-out info, spring training schedule, and pay chart was here. The same day, the Lord pulled back the veil of our finite understanding and gave us some insight into His perfect plan, confirming that our move to the Orioles was in perfect accordance with His will. What a wonderful Christmas gift!

Laying in bed last night, I was thinking about God's timing- how sometimes or maybe a lot of the time, it feels late to us. Yet, when the full counsel of time is revealed, He is never late or tardy, and He never forgets His promises. Our baseball episodes are little vignettes of this truth, but the ultimate object lesson is the Christmas story- God's fulfillment of thousands of years of prophecy and the promise of redemption. In my Advent devotional yesterday, I read the following:

  As we observe Christmas, we actually celebrate the coming of the fullness of times.  

How true. Galations 4:4-7 says, When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. 

Glory to God in the highest. The long promised Saviour is come that all who call on the name of Jesus may be called children of God.