The Perfect Timing Behind Every Perfect Gift

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Have you ever received a gift that you were through-the-roof excited about? I have gotten several generous gifts in my lifetime, but a few stick out to me as being truly precious and perfect for me at the stage in which I was living. I remember when I was about eight or nine unwrapping a large box holding a piano keyboard , probably to a chorus of squeals and shouts that would have seemed out of place had you not known my budding love for piano music. 
There really is something truly special about a meaningful gift, isn't there?! But what is it that makes a gift meaningful? Could it be that a gift is only as meaningful as the perfection of its timing?  Imagine what it would have been like if I had opened that keyboard gift at age two instead of age eight. I would have had no clue what to do with the black and white keys, much less how to expertly play them or truly appreciate their beauty and significance. Likewise, I would not be nearly as excited to open that same gift today. 
Behind every meaningful gift, including God's gifts to us, is an incredibly intentional timing. The psalmist says, "You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away" (Psalm 139:2). If God knows the number of hairs on our heads and every thought that crosses our minds, don't you think He is probably acutely aware of our deepest desires and longings? 
It is a deeply ingrained part of our sinful nature to assume that God is withholding our best from us. And maybe He is...but could it be that even the withholding is in our best interest? Maybe He is saving some of His most precious gifts to us for a time in our lives when they will hold the most meaning.   Are you aching for something today? Living with that gnawing desire that just won't ease up?  Instead of doubting God's heart for you, remind yourself that, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights" (James 1:17). Yes, maybe He is withholding from you that thing you most deeply desire. Maybe, just MAYBE, He is saving it for a day when you will understand its meaning in the deepest, most intimate way possible...a day when you will rip open that tissue paper and jump up and down, squealing in delight with abundant thanksgiving because that gift inside the box is perfect for you RIGHT THEN. 
After all, God is never early and He is never late. And neither are his gifts.