A Time for Everything

“There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under Heaven… He has made everything appropriate in its time. He also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11

Spring is a beautiful time of year. Flowers and trees start blooming, countless shades of green start appearing from every angle, the world comes back to life. Cherry blossom trees are synonymous with spring. They are often the first sign of life after a long winter. 

One spring day a few years ago, I was lying under a cherry blossom tree looking up at the branches. I noticed that not all of the flowers were blooming at the same time. Some were still just buds, some were buds that were slowly starting to open and show their colors, others were fully blossomed flowers, and others had finished blossoming and were starting the transition of becoming leaves. All of the buds and flowers were part of the same tree, sometimes even on the same branch, but all were in different stages of the blooming process. It was then that God gave me the reminder that I needed - everyone blossoms at different times. During that time in my life, I had been comparing myself to the life I thought I would have had by then, and God’s gentle reminder comforted me. Just because my life had not been how I imagined it would be, did not mean that it never would. My blossoming time just hadn’t come yet.

Comparison is hard. Whether we are comparing ourselves to a timeline we had planned for our lives, just as I had, or if we find ourselves comparing our lives to those of others around us. It is easy to get caught up in it and start feeling down and defeated. We can become discouraged, and when that happens, sometimes it is hard to keep pushing forward. God’s gentle nudge that day was a great reminder that no matter where we are in life, we are not behind, we are right where God wants us to be. He has hand-picked a blossoming season for each one of us. Just as the buds on the cherry blossom trees were blossoming at different times, the same is true with our lives. If you have not blossomed yet, your time is coming. And when it comes, it will be a truly beautiful experience and your colors will shine brightly for everyone to see. 

Journal Prompt - Have you ever struggled with comparison and not being content with the trajectory that your life was on? What are some things you can do to remember that everything has a time and your blossoming season will come? What are some active steps you can take to help your blossoming season approach?

“There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under Heaven… He has made everything appropriate in its time. He also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.” - Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11

Prayers & Love Always

---