“What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Holy Bible, Mark 10:9

By Samantha McKenzie

Editor’s note: Before reading this blog, please join me in taking a moment of silence for all of those who have lost loved ones due to the coronavirus and other health-related issues. May they find peace and comfort in the coming days. Our prayers continue…

I closed out 2020 feeling blessed about many things. I was thankful for my health and my family’s health and for the ability to continue working while so many others were dealing with excruciating financial difficulties and untimely deaths. I was thankful for being in a loving relationship, for moving into a new townhouse, and for finally getting an LLC for the business. But mostly, I was thankful to be alive.

While many dubbed it the “worst year ever”, others found ways to maneuver through the devastation and eke out moments of gladness. Practicing gratefulness went a long way.

I can’t say I stayed positive every day. I certainly did not. I experienced sadness, anger, and hopelessness. Simultaneously living through a deadly virus and the worst political season I’ve ever witnessed, I struggled. I mean, I STRUGGLED. On those days, I reached out to my mom or called a good friend and talked and talked until I found something good to say. I prayed. And then, I prayed some more.

I rolled into 2021 with an overwhelming feeling of the importance of time and timing. I don’t mean my timing. This wasn’t about my less-than-exceptional organizational skills or my calendar of things to do. It was more about divine order and when the time is right, you will know it. A kaleidoscope of thoughts fluttered around in my head about how so many great things had manifested itself – some large, others small – and how I had little control over it. I was not in charge.

Things just seemed to happen in its own time, in such a way that I knew God was in charge of me and my affairs, and it all made me smile. I like to call that God’s time and timing. You may consider calling it something else. But the fact is, I knew when it happened because it just felt different, it felt better, it felt right. It was God’s timing, not mine.

Don’t get me wrong. Planning for your life is a must. Praying for it even better. These things collectively prepare us for what is to come.

But when God puts a thing together, in His time, whether that’s a soulmate or some other type of opportunity, it is a sure thing. It comes together in the peakness of time, at the greatest of moments, and in the right season. When that happens, no man nor woman can stop it (and yes, they may try). My point is, however, that when we are in alignment with the Creator, those other plans will fail.

Without knowing it, I was growing. This past year, I have tried even harder to get more in tune with my purpose, to not sweat the smallest of things, and to practice extraordinary patience. I emphasize extraordinary here because I am terrible at being patient. I had to manage my own expectations of myself and others. Impatient people, like myself, are often left feeling frustrated and disappointed when things don’t work out they way we want them to.

I had to remind myself that the Creator only wants the best for me. I don’t have to settle. I don’t have to worry. I don’t even have to second guess myself. I almost signed a lease for another townhouse that I knew was too small for my needs. I attempted on several occasions to sabotage a great relationship because things weren’t happening in the time frame that I had ordered. I created, by design, stories in my head, stories that control the outcome and stories, well, stories that have all turned out to be untrue. In my stories, I speed up time to my liking and to suit my schedule. Silly me.

But on January 1, as I sat in my bed, thinking of my fortune, I chuckled. Life was not so bad after all. I’ve learned that when God calls you to move, then you move. When God sets a thing in motion, better believe, it’s happening. No one, no situation, no obstacle can stand in its way. I learned to believe a little bit more in His will and lean a little closer to His understanding. I learned to trust the process, no matter what.

And most of all, I learned to look at time in a different way. To recognize God’s wink. To respect it. To let life unfold, naturally and to let time, and timing just be.

Happy new year.