El tiempo de Dios es perfecto! (God's timing is perfect!)

Saturday evening…

In front of my house, I could hear children's laughter as they ran and played while neighbors talked and laughed.

My front door was opened multiple times as my children ran in and out grabbing sports equipment, pitchers of water along with cups to share with their thirsty friends or taking a moment to cool down and rest before joining the fun once again.

At some point, my husband said he needed to speak to me for a moment, but before he could, I saw him taking down our hammock chairs on the patio in the back, and moving tables and plants, so I joined him as he explained to me what he was about to do.

You see, our neighbors had heard that this night the 'bandas' (gangs) were going to visit our neighborhood.

They were in one of our friend's neighborhoods last night and we could hear the gunshots from here.

Last night, our guards shut all three gates in front of our neighborhood and guarded from behind a concrete wall...just in case.

So, tonight our neighbors are afraid. They heard the gunshots last night. They have heard the stories of what happened and they are afraid.

My husband offered for our neighbors to park their cars in our garage. It is not covered, but it is gated and we have plenty of room in our garage and patio area for their small cars.

What we thought would be 3 or 4 cars, quickly became 8 cars in our yard as neighbor after neighbor asked to be able to park their cars here as well, even those we haven't met…until tonight.

They knew that they could lock their doors and pray no one would try and break in…and with bars on all our windows, it does make that a little harder. But they knew they couldn't protect their cars…their only source of transportation, from thugs on motorcycles with bats and guns from smashing their car windows and beating their cars to a pulp and/or burning them.

We don't have a car yet, so we have an empty garage. One sweet neighbor said that if we had already bought our van, then we couldn't have put all those cars in the back for protection.

I told her that timing is perfect and one of my newest friends said exactly what I should have clarified, "El tiempo de Dios es perfecto!" (God's timing is perfect!) She nailed it!

Had we bought the van, like we were supposed to, last week, we wouldn't have had room for at least 2 to 3 of those cars.

But God orchestrated that timing to be delayed a little because He already knew about tonight…that we would need that extra room for our neighbors…for those who need to see His light and His salvation.

As the evening progressed, each time a motorcycle would drive by outside our neighborhood, the young girls would have a mini panic attack and at one point, one of them was crying and telling Scott how afraid she was.

God gave another opportunity to share His love as Scott prayed, along with Moriah for these girls and their fears.

As everyone began to make their way home, our family came back into our house and Scott suggested that we pray, one at a time, as a family and then he brought out the oil and we anointed every door and window, inside and out and the gate that held behind it so many precious possessions of our neighbors, who had entrusted them to our safe-keeping. Scott also went to the big gate at the entrance to our neighborhood and prayed that it would not be breached, as the guards curiously watched.

Hearing our children pray, for God to place His guardian angels around our neighborhood and let those who may come to do harm see those angels and run away in fear, is enough to build more faith!

Around 11, Scott went out to check with some of our neighbors who were still outside chatting and they told him, "We heard your family praying." They also said, "It was like a peace settled over the neighborhood." We didn't plan for anyone to hear us, but they did.

Guess what? They felt His presence! Our neighbors felt God's presence descend upon this neighborhood. We had prayed those very words! That God would send His peace upon these people and they would know that He was the one protecting them.

"You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem."

2 Chron 20:17a 

God has clearly told us in His Word that He will fight for us! We only need to stand firm and hold our position and we will see His salvation!

What comforting words in the midst of confusion! His timing is perfect! His reasons for us being here at this time and place are beyond our understanding, but…

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord."

Isa. 55:8

His timing is perfect! And we will wait! But while we wait, we will stand and work where we are, and shine the light of Jesus in this neighborhood that we call home.

And all was quiet tonight!