My Dear, Sweet Lizzie Mae! You remember this I'm sure, just as sure as when you reminded me that you used to iron with me sitting on your hip. What beautiful days those were . . .

"It is time for you to act, O LORD!" (Ps. 119:126)

Presumption? Arrogance? Effrontery? Who was David, indeed, who are we to instruct the Lord of his timing? How do we know when God should or should not do a thing? How brazen can we be to tell God that it is time for him to do something, and stop doing whatever idle thing he happens to be about?

What possible preamble justifies such an impetuous demand?

When I was a very small child and on the throne of potty training; when, as I sat on the proverbial throne, as I had finished my business, I cried to my Lizzie Mae, or to whomever else that belonged to me in the house, "Come and wipe me . . !"

I wish you to know here, that I did not long contemplate whether or not I should make such a request. It was assumed . . . I knew that when I was done, someone would come and apply the finishing touch! Someone would act for no other reason than I had decided the time had come for them to do so. Even at that tender age of between 18 months and 3 years, I knew that.

I say, I knew that -- like I knew the sun would shine and rain would fall. I knew it was the job of adults to care for me.

Whatever you and I find ourselves doing things of interest, whether noble or ignoble -- as a child moving his bowels -- when we are finished, when we have done all that we can do, is the time for God to act. I can tell you that in my childhood, in my appeals to loving, caring adults, I was never disappointed. Someone always came. At times, when Lizzie Mae arrived, I would hear her gently but firmly say, "Its time you learned how to do this yourself, young man."

"But I don't know how," I whined.

"It's time for you to learn."

All of which to say here, that sometimes God will act in such a way as to teach us, to instruct us to the task of serving him. You do understand that God will not do for you what He has equipped you to do for yourself? Right? But insofar as it suits his purpose for you, he will do what you can't do. This is not to say that you always know what you can and can't do. But God does know. And when he knows, he does. And when you know, you can remind him, "Its time, Lord" . . . just in case he forgets.

-- PDM