Timing is Everything

I love a story. For some reason God has made my brain to work in a way that may not be normal. Give me some details and I will soon forget them. Tell me a story and I may remember it for life. I have a feeling there are some other folks that have the same kind of genetic make up because Jesus surely told a few good ones in the form of parables, made up stories that had a moral….and the people remembered them!
Paul wasn’t so much of a parable-teller as he was willing and excited about telling HIS story. And that also was a good one, so much so that he kept the attention of some mighty powerful men. The thing about Paul’s story was that is was true and yet as fabulous, exciting, dramatic and interesting as any great piece of fiction.
 

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We knew that testimonies were powerful. We had witnessed it ourselves as we listened to the stories from the people God brought to us. But sometimes we had a difficult time finding the person God had chosen, though in time He always revealed it to us.

One evening I was doing the dishes and my Beloved called from the other room asking for a telephone number from my address book. I dried my hands and was paging through the pages looking for the “B’s which would have brought me to the number he needed.

As I cast my eyes down the page they landed on Jane Bateman’s name and in a millisecond I knew she would have the perfect story for the book of Luke.

Jane had come across my path years before when I was directing the Women’s Fellowship. I had asked her to teach a series after hearing from several women in the area about the excellence of her teaching and communication skills. But after getting to know her and hearing her story I was so impressed with the courage and faith of the woman and I became her fan.

But soon after the friendship began to grow she moved, and then moved again and I lost contact for several years.

So looking at my address book I decided to take a chance and call the only number I had. It was late at night, far past most people’s bedtime but for some reason I felt an urgency.

She answered the phone and I was elated. I told her I would so love to film her story and she seemed delighted to do so. I told her I was so glad that I was able to reach her and her reply reminded me that God was in control!

“I am moving tomorrow to another city and the phone will be disconnected. If you had waited a few hours you would not have gotten me.”

Had I only hesitated I would not have been able to find her. But then if I had not looked up a number in the address book I would not have been reminded of her story.

A few weeks later our film crew arrived in Greenville, South Carolina and we were able to get her incredible story on film for the Amazing Collection so that millions of women could be encouraged and inspired by her life.

“For you have made me glad by what you have done. I will sing for joy at the works of Thy hands. How great are Thy works!”

Psalm 92:4