One of the most profound examples of God’s perfect timing shows up in my favorite love story—the story of how I met my husband.

It was Early 2006.

My second-to-last year of college. My mom had called me and said that she met a really nice guy from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office that had been out to their farm to survey their pastures and work on cattle grazing plans. She thought I would like him.

I brushed her off. I still had a year and a half left of college. Four hours away from where my parents and this so-called nice guy lived.

Then it was March.

I was home at my parents’ house for spring break. Typical for a college student, it was 10am and I was still sleeping when my mom came running into my room and jumped on my bed. (Who IS this woman?!?)?

She was so mad that I was still in bed because that nice, handsome, polite guy had been out working again with Dad all morning and she had wanted me to meet him.

I groaned and rolled back over.

She was becoming more insistent that I meet him, so I finally conceded and told her that if he came to my brother’s high school graduation reception she could introduce us.

You see, this guy coached basketball and track at my high school.

Graduation

Low and behold, the moment he walked in to my brother’s reception, my youngest sister pointed him out to me. I could not take my eyes off of him.

My cousin introduced us.

Later that evening, after graduation, I gave him my number. I told him that if he was in Omaha the next weekend with his track team for the high school state track meet, he could call me and we could go out to dinner.

He called.

We went to dinner. We ate and then sat and talked until they closed and kicked us out. We had our first kiss that night.

The next morning, I called my mom and told her that I would marry this guy. Six months later, he bought a ring. Three months later, we were engaged. Seventeen months after we met, we were married.

The rest is history.

God’s Timing

God’s timing rarely matches our timing.

But I haven’t even told you the most surprising part yet.

Three years before we met, we actually attended the same small state college for two years at the same time. And when I say small, I mean small.

We didn’t meet while we were there.

We were at the same small college for two years and did not meet.

God’s timing you guys. I know, and God definitely knew that had He presented me with my future husband when we were at that state college, it would not have worked out.

I was not ready for a serious relationship. I was not the same person I would become just a few years later.

God knew, that had he spoken to me then, I would have ruined the opportunity. I would have either ran away from it, or rushed into it. Neither would have allowed me to fall in love with the man I fell in love with a few years later. Or for him to fall in love with me.

He knew that I was neither spiritually or emotionally ready for a serious relationship with the man of my dreams.

Nor was I ready until the exact moment when God made His will plain for me to see.

God’s perfect timing.

As Priscilla Shirer says in her book “Discerning the voice of God,” “We want God to paint the whole picture right away, but He wisely withholds certain truths and information from us until we need it, when we can actually do something with it besides just mess it up.”

If we would have met at that state college, I would have messed up what is now one of the best parts of my life. We have been together for almost 13 years now. Married for 11 1/2.

Three beautiful children and a life that I have to pinch myself sometimes to believe that it’s real.

All because of God’s perfect timing.

So if you’re waiting, know that God knows exactly when all the pieces will come together for YOUR perfect picture. You don’t have to try to make things happen on your own.

God has perfect timing.