Ali Elizabeth

“Different Timelines, Same God” 

In a small town, timelines are easy to see. We watch them unfold right in front of us. It can be on social media, at the grocery store, in church pews, and through casual conversations that start with, “Did you hear about so and so?”

One friend has three children and is juggling ball practices and school drop-offs, while another is still waiting to walk down the aisle. A coworker celebrates their fourth promotion, while you’re standing in the same position you were a year and a half ago, wondering if you missed a turn somewhere along the way. It can be hard. Really really hard not to compare.

Comparison creeps in quietly. It whispers that we’re behind, late, or somehow doing life wrong. It convinces us that everyone else is moving forward while we’re standing still. And if we’re being honest, those thoughts can sting, especially when we’ve prayed, worked hard, and tried to do things “the right way.” But Scripture reminds us that our lives were never meant to run on the same clock.

God doesn’t work on a universal timeline. He works personally, intentionally, and purposefully. Ecclesiastes tells us there is “a time for everything,” not according to our expectations, but according to His perfect design. What blooms early for one person may take longer for another, and that doesn’t make either story less valuable.

When we’re stuck comparing our chapter two to someone else’s chapter ten, we forget that God sees the whole story. He knows what we need now, what we’ll need later, and what must be built within us before certain doors open. Delays aren’t denials; sometimes they’re protection. Sometimes they’re preparation.

So if your timeline looks different than you hoped, take heart. Where you are right now is not an oversight. It’s a season. And seasons change. Trust that the same God who is working in the lives around you is also working deeply and faithfully in yours. Our timelines may be different, but our God is the same. He is steady, sovereign, and always on time.