Just the other day, I was talking with a Christian friend who, after months of frustration and exhaustion in regard to a personal situation she’d been facing, finally had a breakthrough. In summarizing her mix of emotions, she said, “I know God’s timing is perfect, but it sure can be exasperating!”
We can all relate, can’t we? And whether we like it or not, sometimes we may not even live to see the results we might have hoped for. Take the example of Karl von Drais.
Born in Germany in 1785, Drais was a prolific inventor who in 1817 created his first Laufmaschine (“running machine”). With two wheels and a seat, all held together with a wooden frame, it had no pedals; rather, it was propelled by the rider’s own feet. It was a brilliant idea and today is widely heralded as the world’s first “bicycle.” However, it wasn’t until about 50 years later that the first pedaled bicycle was introduced.
Why did it take so long?
Well, one of the reasons was simply that Germany’s roads weren’t ready for Drais’ Laufmaschine. Since horse-drawn carriages were the primary mode of transportation at the time, the dirt roads were largely rutted and unsuitable for a “running machine.” Not to be deterred, Drais and other early riders tried using their contraptions on walking paths, only to be chased off by critics who found them to be too dangerous around pedestrians. So, most of those early models were relegated to storage barns or scrapped altogether.
Thankfully, as bicycles evolved over the years, at least a few people remembered who had the original idea. And even though Karl von Drais didn’t live to see his invention take on new life, in 2017—the 200th anniversary of his invention—Germany issued a postage stamp that showed his Laufmaschine casting its long shadow as a modern-day bicycle.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven,” and 3:11 makes the point more emphatically, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” So, if you’re finding God’s timing exasperating right now, I hope you can lean on this promise and continue on in faith. You may not see it all turn out as you might hope in the timeframe you might hope, but your faithfulness will live on as a legacy to inspire others.
Prayer: Loving God, we don’t always understand why things don’t work out how or when we’d like, but help us to rely on your promise, believing that you love us and are working all things together for good for those who love you. (Romans 8:28) In Jesus’ name, Amen
(By the way, if you’d like a song to encourage you as you consider all of this, here’s a quiet version of “In His Time.” https://youtu.be/tWm36Jv4anM?si=i3Z26AEGEBUWR_OA)
Dave Marty is a retired pastor who lives with his wife, Mary, in Brownsburg, Indiana. They have two beautiful daughters, two great sons-in-law, and two creative teenage grandchildren. In addition to cycling (including unicycling), Dave also enjoys gardening, Scrabble, hosting Holy Land tours with Mary, and tutoring kindergarteners at a nearby school