God’s Timing

Okay… the craziest thing just happened, and it’s one of those moments that makes you stop and think about God’s timing.

Buckle in.

Back in March, my friend Amanda and I went to Round Top together. From a sourcing perspective, it was honestly kind of a bust. But we finally got to meet in person, spend time together, and have a girls’ trip.

While we were there, we wandered into a shop we absolutely fell in love with. The owner, Janet, spent time talking with us about sourcing, Italian fairs, and even offered to share some of her connections. I thanked her, tucked that conversation away in the back of my mind, and never thought much more about it.

Fast forward to this summer. Amanda and I had the best time sourcing together in France, and now she’s officially caught the sourcing-abroad bug. This morning we were on the phone talking about Italy. I’m very much a France girl, so I was hesitant, but I figured I’d reach back out to Janet anyway.

After talking about Italy, Janet and I somehow ended up talking business… tariffs… and my delayed container.

She asked if we’d been charged the new tariffs.

I told her yes.

Our container arrived Sunday. The new policies for 0% tariffs for antiques went into effect Sunday. But because our customs paperwork had been filed the week before—as it normally is—we assumed we had just landed on the wrong side of timing. Doug and I had already accepted it. We’d file for a refund if possible and wait. It wasn’t ideal, but it was what it was.

Then she asked, “Who’s your customs broker?”

Turns out… her broker is my broker’s brother. They’ve known each other for years.

She said, “Ask him exactly when he filed your container.”

So we did.

Not long after sending that email, our broker responded… with a revised invoice.

The tariffs were gone.

Here’s the part that gets me.

This container had been delayed over… and over… and over again.

Peak shipping season.
Warehouse space issues.
Scheduling delays.
A random tropical storm.
Customs timing.

Every single delay felt frustrating in the moment. I questioned every one of them. I was infuriated about the timing… 

But had this container gone exactly according to my timeline, I probably never would’ve had that conversation with Janet. I never would’ve known to ask the right question. I never would’ve gotten the revised invoice.

What looked like obstacle after obstacle may have been exactly what positioned us for the outcome we needed.

It’s such a simple reminder that we see maybe 2% of the story while God sees all of it.

The delays that feel like disappointments today may be setting up tomorrow’s breakthrough.

If you’ve been questioning God’s timing lately, maybe this is your reminder: just because you can’t see what He’s doing doesn’t mean He isn’t working.