You don’t need to know the timeline. You just need to trust that God is holding it.

Angel: Why have you been keeping her in the dark about what’s coming?

God: Because if I told her, she’d try to control it.

The dark wasn’t punishment. It was protection.

– Jacqueline Whitney

Angel: What do you mean?

God: She’d start counting down. She’d try to figure out the timeline. She’d start looking for it everywhere. She’d miss the lessons she’s still meant to learn because she’d be too focused on the destination.

Angel: So you’re protecting her from herself?

God: I’m protecting the gift. What I’m bringing is too important to let her rush through the preparation. Some things lose their meaning when you know they’re coming. Some surprises only work because they’re surprises.

Angel: Will she be upset that you didn’t tell her?

God: No. When it arrives, she’ll be grateful. She’ll see why I had to keep it quiet. She’ll see how the not-knowing is what made her ready. The dark wasn’t punishment. It was protection. The mystery wasn’t cruelty. It was kindness.

Angel: When does she find out?

God: When it’s already happening. When she’s already in it. When it’s too late to question it. That’s when she’ll see what I’ve been planning all along.

Jacqueline Whitney is the author Held: A 50 Day Devotional For Parents and All That You Deserve.