Your Time is Not Now

It's the start of a wonderful new semester! And this semester I'm taking a class about the second half of the New Testament, starting in Acts of the Apostles. So, about once a week (I'll probably do every Sunday) I'm going to take a more serious approach and talk about the things that I've been learning that I've thought were really cool or touching.

This week I want to talk about Acts Chapter 3. In this chapter Peter and John are headed up to the temple when they come across a man who's been lame his entire life (over 40 years) who is begging outside of the temple gates. According to Jewish tradition, this man would've been considered  unclean and would've been told his entire life that his infirmity was the price for the sins of his parents. Now, when the number 40 is mentioned in the scriptures, it is often describing a period of judgement or preparation. For him, it could've been judgement in that the Jews judged his infirmity, or it could've been preparation for the miracle he would someday receive. When Peter and John got to the gates of the temple the man asked an alms of them as he would have any other person. But instead of giving him money, they had something much more valuable to give him. In Acts 3 verses 6-8 it says,
 "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God."

His entire life he was told that he wasn't whole or clean because of his physical infirmity. He was told that he couldn't enter the temple or receive the same blessings that other people could. However, even though he'd been told his entire life that the wrath of God fell on him, he harbored no bitterness at all towards God. He had enough faith to be healed. All this man was asking for was a piece or two of gold or silver, but instead he received one of the greatest gifts he could've ever been given. That day, legs that had never been used before, legs that would've been shriveled and weak, supported his weight as he stood and leaped and entered the temple for possibly the first time in his life. He knew of God's love for him, and praised Him. Can you imagine the piece and the joy he must have felt? I bet that it was a beautiful moment. This event alone helped convert 5,000 people to the church that day.

As I sat in class, I thought that this was a beautiful story, but then my professor brought up an interesting point that really touched me. This man was laid daily outside of the temple for most of his life. This healing event occurred only around 50 days after Christ was crucified, and how often had Christ come to the temple during the previous three years of His ministry? It's not only possible, but extremely likely that this man had watched the Savior walk past those temple gates many times before. It's even possible that when Jesus called many of the sick and lame and blind into the temple to heal them, that this man was there, watching, waiting for his time. I can see him watching the Savior pass, knowing the miracles he's performed, sitting and wondering... "When will be my time? When will I be healed?". How hard it must've been to sit back, watch, and wait with the faith that maybe, just maybe, one day it would be him.

The Savior is aware of all of us.He was aware of that lame man outside of the temple gates and his struggles. How hard it must've been for Christ to watch that man struggle and know how badly he wished to be healed. To know that this man had done no wrong to make him lame. It wasn't a curse, but simply a trial. He probably saw this man time and time again and thought to Himself... "I'm not going to heal you yet. Your time is not now. I need you to strengthen my apostle Peter, and to bring 5,000 people to My church." That statement right there brought tears to my eyes.

The past four to five months have been the hardest months I have experienced in my life. One thing after the other was thrown at me, and just as I felt like maybe I could carry the load on my shoulders, something else would be added on. I watched the people around me who were so happy and were thriving. And I just wondered why me? Why now? I can't take anymore of this! I can't keep carrying this load. I can't keep moving on like this when I'm so broken. I just can't take one more step. When will be my time?  When will this weight be lifted? When will I be healed? But now isn't my time for healing. Now is my time of preparation. When the weight is lifted, it will be amazing, and it will be in the right time for me to bless others in the process. Maybe at this moment I have to stop asking for alms, for the little things like to get through my class or to travel safely, maybe I need to stop and ask what Heavenly Father would have me do. Instead of asking for pieces of silver, ask what great healing he has in store for me. He has so much in store for all of us. Maybe all we have to do is ask.