God's Timing is not our Timing 

by Chaplain Danny Cox

A few years back the Lord spoke to me to translate my book to Spanish because 30% of the prison population speaks Spanish. I set out immediately to accomplish His request. This story will show you how God always works in His timing and always at the perfect time! 

Do you ever feel like your prayers are not heard by God? Do you feel like when you pray your prayers just hit the ceiling and fall back to the floor never to be heard? Let me tell you a story about God's faithfulness.

At 42 years old I had been running from God most of my life. I was a businessman by day and a party animal at night.

In 1991 I was arrested for drug trafficking and eventually sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison. Reality finally caught up with me. I was a drug dealer, a drug addict, and an alcoholic. I had a hard head and a hard heart.

However, the first week in the county jail, while I was waiting to go to trial, I had a supernatural life changing experience with Jesus. I was caught up in a vision and Jesus showed me the sin in my life. It was heartbreaking to see all the terrible things that I had done, but I could feel the overwhelming love of Jesus wooing me to Him. I asked Jesus to forgive me and I gave Him my life. My addictions were instantly broken; I was set free and I was called into the ministry.

While in prison God healed me from an incurable disease and during the last six months in prison I wrote a book about the miracles that God has done in my life.

My book was written to give others hope and faith that God can and will answer prayers and do miracles in the lives of his people. Even in prison.

When I got out of prison God called me to go back to prison as a Prison Chaplain. I have been able to give my book away to many inmates. I have received many letters from inmates of how my book touched their lives. All Glory be to God.

One thing I want you to remember. God is on His timetable not ours. He does things according to His plan in His timing. However, He's never late, but He's never early either.

One day I began to feel in my spirit that God wanted my book in Spanish for the Latino Inmates. About 30% of the prison population is Spanish-speaking.

I decided to see what the publishers would charge to translate it from English to Spanish. It was $16,000.00. Wow, there was no way I could afford that.

So, I began to pray for the Lord to prepare the way for me to get my book translated into Spanish. I prayed and I prayed and nothing happened. I couldn't figure it out. I was sure the Lord wanted me to do this, but nothing was happening. I prayed for ten years.

Then, out of the clear blue sky (that's the way God works), a man and his family came to my home church and asked for me. As I approached the family I could tell they were Hispanic; Ricardo, Gabriella and four kids all very well dressed. I walked up and Ricardo spoke and he said, I read your book brother and it was so good that I drove here with my family to thank you. I was shocked.

We began to talk and I noticed that his wife did not speak English, but Rocardo and the kids were bilingual. I asked him to meet for lunch soon and he gave me his number.

At lunch I found out that he was a semi-retired ordained minister. I immediately asked him if he was interested in joining my prison ministry team. He said he would love to.

One day on the way to minister at a nearby prison, I casually mentioned to Ricardo that I would love to get my book translated to Spanish. You will notice I never directly asked him to do it, I just mentioned I would like to have it done hoping he would volunteer. He just kept on talking like he didn't hear me.

Then, one day Ricardo called and said, "well brother, I have someone to translate your book into Spanish." I was stunned and asked who. He said, "my wife." I said, "wait a minute, your wife can't speak English." He said, "I know, but she's already half-way through the first chapter." My jaw dropped! How could this be possible?

A few months later Ricardo told me to drop by his house because his wife Gabriella had a surprise for me. I went there and Ricardo translated for both of us so we could talk to each other.

She handed me two Hello Kitty spiral notebooks and she said the book was finished. I was a little confused, but overjoyed. I paid her for her time and effort. I left, but I pulled my car over quickly to look at the notebooks. Gabriella had hand-printed the whole book in Spanish in the notebooks. At first, I had to laugh. I didn't know what else to do. Her handwriting was beautiful, but How was I going to get this in a computer? And, I have to admit I was a little skeptical because she couldn't speak English.

As I drove home, I remembered there was a military couple that had just started coming to our church. His wife was from Columbia and spoke broken but understandable English. I went to them the following Sunday at church and asked her if she would just consider reading my translated book to see if she could understand it because she spoke Spanish, but was from a different dialect. She agreed.

About 2 months later I saw her at church and she handed the notebooks back to me and said she loved the book and could understand it well. I thanked her and as I was beginning to turn away, she said, "oh, by the way, I typed the book in Spanish for you" and handed me a thumb drive with the book in it. Remember, I had no idea how to get the book typed in Spanish and computer ready, but God did. WOW, is God good or what?

Then I began to think about how to get it edited. I called my publisher and they wanted $1,500.00. I prayed, Lord I need more help here.

A few years earlier I went on a missions trip to Peru. We were met in Lima, Peru by an American Missionary to Peru that had been there 20 years. He was our guide and host. I got an idea. I sent him a text and asked if he would take a look at the book (I was still skeptical) in Spanish and let me know if he could read it since the dialect was different there in Peru. I wanted to make sure because the Latino inmates were from many different countries. He told me to email it to him.

About a week later he sent me an email and said he loved the book and he could understand it well. Then he said, "oh, by the way, I decided to edit the book while I was reading it and correct the grammar and spelling. I'm sending you back the edited version ready for publication." WOW, is God good or what?

I sent the book to the publishers and the total cost (including translation) to get it published was $1,000.00.

I had the book hand-printed in Spanish by a woman from Mexico that couldn't speak English; I had the book typed from the hand printed note-books by a woman from Columbia and I had the book edited by an American Missionary in Peru seven thousand miles away; and I saved $15,000.00 by waiting for God and His timing.

I was blown away how God works. Yes, He wanted the book in Spanish, but he planned to bless three families in the process. When I first started praying for the Book to be in Spanish I didn't know any of these people, but God did and He already had a plan.

I'm sure God is working out the details right now to answer your prayers. He is completing miraculous details behind the scenes that will be clear one day. Keep the faith and continue to believe. Don't give up. Your miracle is just around the corner. Luke 1:37 For with God, nothing shall be impossible!