Last week, in God Guides, Part 1, we looked at a striking example of how God guides, even with the little stuff, in the story of how we decided to get a kitten, what kind of a kitten, and from where. But it wasn’t until we looked back at the timing if it all that we were struck with how God’s hand had been in the entire proceeding.

The decision to downsize our aviary was long in coming, but with no one in the house now having time to raise baby birds, we knew it was the right thing to do. But what would we do with our breeders? They weren’t tame enough to keep as pets, and we would have to either separate them to keep them from laying, or shake up the eggs once they were laid to keep them from hatching. My soft heart wouldn’t allow for either option, and though I am very against rehoming animals, it seemed to me to be the most humane choice.

But where? How?

I tried one day to put out a Kijiji ad for the cockatiel pair, but I had that strong feeling in my spirit that I shouldn’t. So I waited.

It wasn’t long after that that I got an email from a young man who had purchased one of my cockatiel babies. His baby had died. My policy was to replace any baby that died within the first year, but not having any more babies, I asked the young man, who I later learned was a Christian, if he would like my cockatiel pair. He jumped at the chance, saying it was an answer to his prayer.

Shortly thereafter I was contacted by someone in Alberta who was looking for breeding pairs of linnies. She wanted my birds, but not until late Spring. I had taken June 17 off of work to drive my mother to her eye surgery, and it worked out perfectly that my buyer wished for us to ship the birds on that date. Perfect. I wouldn’t have to take another day off work to drive them to the airport!

It was all working out, but we didn’t know what to do about the Pionus pair. After all, they were my husband’s babies, and after the first initial discussion, 6 months earlier, he had said nothing more about selling them.

Meanwhile however, we had made the arrangements for the kitten, and we would need the money from the Pionus to pay for her!

The kittens were born May 14. They would be ready for their new homes at the end of August. Just in time for us to get back from our summer holidays. And just in time for us to be able to tell my husband about his kitten on Father’s Day, June 20.

But what about the Pionus?

The kittens were 2 weeks old when the Pionus pair flew at me, landing on my glasses and nose. I’m not afraid of birds, but it startled me, the glasses flew off my face, and their claws scratched my nose.

My husband came running in to help me get disentangled from the birds, and then he said, “Let’s put out an ad for the Pionus!”

He later told me he had been praying for a sign that it was right to sell them, and when they flew at me, that was his sign.

I put out a Kijiji ad in all major Canadian cities, but my ads were removed the next day because of a new rule that you can only put out an ad in your local area. But not before we had an interested buyer. By June 14 we had firmed up the deal, the birds would ship to Vancouver on June 17,on the same flight as the linnies going to Alberta. I would only have to make one trip to the airport!

The boys and I knew that my husband would be sad about his birds going. With Father’s Day just three days away, should we give him his kitten present early and ruin our surprise? Or should we continue with our original plans?

We went to the Lord, and this is what He gave us: “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.” (Rom 15:1-2 KJV)

I realized then that waiting until Father’s Day to announce our kitten surprise would be to please myself, and the morning of June 17, we told my husband about his kitten. He was very, very happy. He said we couldn’t have chosen a better time to tell him.

Later that day, as we sat back and looked at the timing of everything, we were amazed. Such a little thing in the grand scheme of God’s plans, but God put all the pieces together so intricately!

But then, doesn’t He hold time in His hands? Doesn’t He promise to make everything beautiful, in His time?

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven…” (Eccl 3:1 NKJV)

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Eccl 3:11 NKJV)

Join us next week for God Guides, Part 3 to learn how my husband went about choosing just the right kitten …

Lyn Chaffart

(To access the entire “God Guides” devotional Series, please click here.)