how God's timing is like good cheese

this post deals with two things that i really love: cheese, and the connectedness of what the Lord is doing over time and space.

yesterday, i pulled some shaved parmesan out of the fridge to put on my pasta. on the label was a little message reading, "aged over 10 months." really good parmesans are aged longer - over 2 years. when i saw this label, i thought, "how funny is it that 10 months ago, last december, when i was studying for classes that i now don't even remember and living a different life than i live now, this cheese was beginning to age. it was being prepared 10 months ago for my pasta enjoyment today."

God's work in my life is also the product of aging. i never can see it at the time, but i know that 10 months ago, the Lord was preparing me for what i'm doing right now. and 2 years ago, he was preparing me for this moment as well. and in the same grain, the things the Lord is teaching me today are going to age, per se, and come to their fullness months and years from now. the joy and the peace and all of the fruits of God's work in my life are not just a product of one moment; there is a culminating effect. my experiences with the Lord's grace have been building on top of one another and interweaving themselves.

and i'm excited about what the Lord has aging for me. i'm sure it will be tasty... and expensive. and very good with wine. just kidding.

but really - God is doing good things. He is taking my past, restoring it and using it to teach me. He is taking my present, calling me to follow Him today and to worship Him where i am. and He is taking my future, assuring me that He has ordained my days and that He is working out all things for my good.