Reflection 67: Divine Timing: When Preparation Meets Opportunity

On my last day of work before starting a new job, something unexpected happened.

What I thought would be a routine meeting turned into something much more—an unplanned conversation that may lead to a significant opportunity. The more I reflect on it, the more I am convinced it was not coincidence. It was God’s timing.

About a year ago, I began thinking deeply about inefficiencies in my field. I saw gaps—places where processes could be improved, where time and resources were being wasted. Naturally, my mind went to solutions.

One idea kept coming back: using AI to improve productivity and streamline operations.

I would not call myself an expert in technology, but I am curious. I like to learn. I spent time exploring what it might look like to build something around this idea. But the reality was, I did not have the full skill set or capacity to bring it to life on my own.

So the idea stayed in the background.

Until that meeting.

What started as a standard discussion about project scope and timelines suddenly shifted. The conversation turned toward developing a product aimed at improving efficiency—almost exactly what I had been thinking about for the past year.

I actually laughed out loud.

The people I was meeting with looked at me, confused, and asked what was so funny. So I explained. I told them about the idea I had been sitting on, how I had tried to explore it, and how surreal it was to be having that exact conversation in that exact moment.

Their reaction surprised me.

They were not only interested—they were impressed. Not just by the idea, but by my experience and perspective. Then they asked if I wanted to see a demo of their product. Of course I said yes.

As they walked me through it, I could not help but get excited. It was incredibly similar to what I had envisioned. Afterward, I asked how long they had been working on it.

Their answer shocked me.

They had only started last fall—and the product had been live for just three weeks.

I was honestly blown away.

Out of all the ideas, all the timing, all the places our paths could have crossed—it happened then. On my last day. In that meeting.

By the end of our conversation, we exchanged contact information, and they made it clear they wanted to continue talking.

I walked away with a mix of excitement and uncertainty.

I do not know where this will lead. I do not fully know who these people are or what will come from it. But I do know this: it did not happen by accident.

It felt like one of those moments where God pulls back the curtain just enough for you to realize He has been working behind the scenes the entire time.

The idea did not come out of nowhere. The timing was not random. The meeting was not just a meeting.

It was alignment.

Over the past year, I have been learning what it means to trust God more fully—to loosen my grip on my own plans and allow Him to lead. And I can see now how each step, even the uncertain ones, has been preparing me for moments like this.

There is a reflection often associated with Saint Augustine of Hippo that God exists outside of time, seeing all moments at once. And Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote that God orders and arranges everything—even time itself—according to His will.

If that is true—and I believe it is—then what we experience as unexpected is often perfectly placed.

We may never fully understand why things happen when they do. But we can trust that there is purpose in it.

Looking back over the past year, I can clearly see how God has been guiding my path. Doors opening. Doors closing. Lessons being learned. All of it leading somewhere—even when I could not see it at the time.

This moment feels like another one of those doors.

And while I do not know exactly what is on the other side, I know this: I want to keep my heart open. I do not want to miss what God is doing because I am too focused on my own expectations.

So I will wait. I will pray. And I will trust His timing.

Because if there is one thing I am learning, it is this: when we stop forcing our own plans and start following His, the path unfolds in ways we could never have orchestrated ourselves.