God's timing

I've had the blessing of meeting an older gentleman who is a true man of God and his faith is inspiring. He is also very loving in a grandfatherly way. I have been starting to learn his story as he leant me his memoir. For confidentiality reasons, I can't describe all that I have been learning about him. But let me just say this - wow. I am amazed at how God is faithful and how he has worked in this man's life. He was a prisoner of war in the Japanese prison camps - I can only read his story in small doses because it is so incredibly awful. I am struck by the cruelty of man. But I am also in awe of the faithfulness of God and the testimony of one who suffers much and yet remains faithful and thankful to God for his love.

He wrote something that I wanted to share, and share how amazing I think his words really are:

Believing in the inevitable victory of the allies we felt that our time of imprisonment, if the Japanese decided that was to be our fate, was going to be very short. I thank God that He who knows the end from the beginning, wonderfully kept hidden from us our future. I don't think many of us could have stood the shock of what was in store for us.

Often I get frustrated at God because he does not always lead me in the way I want him to - or let me know the next steps. "If only I had known....".... but i think this is not a true statement. Had God told me 10 years ago, 5 years ago, even 5 months ago what was in store, I think I would have run the other way! This POW survivor talks about how he had the hope of leaving the camps soon..... soon became 3 years for him. But those three years would have been unbearable had he known before hand how long he would have to suffer.

I am really inspired by this man's words. And his wisdom. That God's timing is best. But more than that - that God allows us to know what is in store AS it is best for us! How wonderful is that!