Four-years-old. Perhaps it is because he is my youngest. Or it could be because we moved to Washington right after he was born. Whatever the reason, Milo turning four years old seems like an unbelievable milestone. Four years is only a tenth of my existence, while to Milo, it is a quarter of his life. Regardless of how long it has been, it feels significant. It is amazing how many memories we can cram into four years. They grow up so fast, from sleeping to sounds to steps.
We, as humans, are poor evaluators of time. Sometimes time can seem to crawl to a halt, like when we are in the middle of suffering or trials, as told by the psalmist, “Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!” (Psalm 90:13). We have all been there feeling as though any particular season of life will continue indefinitely. However, we know that whatever we are facing will eventually subside, it is difficult to always predict when it will be over.
From a biblical perspective, we are told that the entire cosmos, all creation, was enduring a period of waiting. There was a time long before we existed that anticipated a change, a remaking of what once was—millennia upon millennia, waiting for freedom. Paul puts it this way in his letter to the saints in Rome.
(Romans 8:20-22 ESV) 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
Waiting. Groaning. Anticipating. Four years ago, I remember listening to the groans of childbirth. Minutes drag into hours; hours seem like days. Eagerly awaiting what will come into the world. And here we are, contemplating how quickly Milo has changed and grown. The agony of that day is far outshined by what has happened since. It is an excellent reminder that we are terrible at assessing the time that moves in our lives.
This time of year, we reflect on this change within the world. It was a time when all of creation groaned, and God had planned for the redemption and emancipation of His handiwork. And although everything in existence was enduring the struggle of “futility,” God was waiting for the best time to rescue all of creation. It was an orchestration that took thousands of years, and the timing, although out of our control, was perfect!
Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
Jesus’ entrance into the world was precise and perfect. God sent him at just the right time for the fulfillment of His plan. It happened right when it was supposed to, and although parts of creation might have desired a different timeline, in hindsight, we can see the excellence of how and when Jesus came into the world. His arrival, at the fullness of time, should inspire us to trust in God’s perfect timing in our own lives.
Time may seem to move at an uncomfortable pace, but we can be confident that God’s plans will always come to fruition exactly when He desires them to. This should give us comfort, but also it should provide us with an aspiration for patience. The psalmist from Psalm 90 also penned these words to hold onto while we wait, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12). Wisdom comes when we can appreciate the time that we are in, because God is in control, and therefore no matter what we can declare, “This is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”