The season was “Summ-fall,” that time when summer’s blossoms were gone and autumn’s were yet to come. We’d returned from vacation, and even though we’d soaked the plants before we left, they didn’t survive. The combination of Georgia’s hot September temperatures and the end of the growing season did them in.

My husband discarded the impatiens from the clay pots on the porch and began preparations for the pansies that would take residence next. I grabbed the broom and went out to sweep up the dirt scattered about the old “patina-ed” pots he loves, and I saw it. A volunteer, orphaned impatien. Science might have said the timing was wrong and the setting certainly less than ideal, but the little flower didn’t listen. It did its job and bloomed away.

Timing is Everything

Timing is everything. How many times have we heard that phrase tossed about, often in reference to a commercial campaign? Millions of dollars are spent by corporations and advertising companies to determine the perfect time to introduce a product to the market. Thousands of man-hours are invested in polling people to ensure the product is relevant, attractive, and appropriately priced.

And yet, if the season is wrong, all that time and money are wasted, and hopes and dreams are dashed. And the plans? Maybe they’re postponed. Maybe they’re discarded. But certainly, those who invested a portion of their lives into the venture never believed failure would be the outcome.

God’s word doesn’t tell us that timing is everything, but that everything has a time. The fuchsia flower had no idea the growing season was supposed to be over. It only knew what its job was, and against all odds, in a crack between the bricks and the concrete, it put down roots and bloomed. Summ-fall was its time, its season.

God’s Timing is Perfect

As Christians, we’re called to be faithful with any gifts and talents God has given us…even when the prevailing opinion might be that the timing is wrong. I remember when I first started writing, I had no idea what I was doing, but people said, “Write what you know.” So I did. I wrote a novel set during and after the Vietnam War. While attending a writers’ conference, I had the opportunity to ‘pitch’ my manuscript to some agents and publishers. Filled with butterflies, I sat down at my first appointment and began telling an editor about my manuscript. Before I could complete my narration, she raised a hand and said, “Why in the world did you choose that time? No one wants to read anything set during Vietnam.” I wanted to cry as I stood and walked away, but a voice deep in my heart said, “Wait. The timing will be right one day.”

God has ordained a time for everything, every activity. Even writing. And whether the timing seemed perfect or not to me, the little flower fulfilled its purpose and bloomed. When its season came, it was ready. Our job is to be ready and obedient so that when our seasons come, we can bloom, too.

When we planted the pansies, we took care to leave the little impatien undisturbed, happily growing next to the winter flowers. So it could fulfill its season, its purpose, as a reminder of God’s perfect seasons and timing in our lives.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1

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As an Air Force brat, the longest Carol James ever lived in one place was a year and a half. Maybe that’s why, when she and her husband bought their first home forty-two years ago, they stayed put. She lives in a town outside of Atlanta, GA with her husband, Jim, and a perky Jack Russell Terrier, Zoe.

Loving intriguing stories with happy endings, she writes Redemptive Romance. Her debut novel, Rescuing Faith, was an Amazon number one best-seller. Visit her website to sign up for her newsletter and learn about new releases: www.carol-james.com

Recently, Carol allowed Zoe to establish Instagram and Facebook pages with two of her dog friends, Sandy and Brody. Follow them at 3 Dogs and Their Authors to discover the behind-the-scenes info about being a writer’s dog.

When she’s not walking Zoe, Carol enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, as well as traveling. On Sundays, she loves serving in the production department at her church. And most days, in the late hours of the night, you’ll find her bringing her newest novel to life.

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Purchase links for A Time for Singing:

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