Not Late -Just Becoming

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Romans 11:29

Do you ever feel like you missed your chance?

We begin with dreams and a clear sense of calling. But life has a way of ambushing us. Responsibilities grow. Priorities shift. Unexpected seasons demand our full attention. And when we finally look up and glance back at those dreams, it can feel like we’ve fallen too far behind to ever catch up.

If that’s where you are today, you’re not alone.

I think most people with a calling, or a passion that God puts on their heart, have stood in this place at one time or another.

But I’ve learned something important. When I describe myself as “behind,” it’s rarely accurate. At the very least, it’s never the whole picture.

Because with God, there is always more happening than we can see.

*****

All during fall, I faithfully moved my Christmas cactus into a dark closet each night, just as the nursery instructions advised. For three months, beginning October 1, I escorted it back and forth from filtered daylight into complete darkness, hoping to coax Christmas blooms from its green stems.

Christmas came and went without a single bud. Apparently, the only thing I accomplished was increasing my daily step count.

I was wrong.

In late January, while watering that bloomless plant, I noticed tiny red buds, no bigger than mustard seeds, peeking from the arching stems. By late February, vibrant crimson flowers filled the stone pot.

The cactus wasn’t blooming late. It was blooming exactly when it was created to bloom.

As I stood taking in its beauty, God gently pressed a truth into my heart: I had been measuring growth by my expectations instead of His design.

I have often felt like a late bloomer … running behind, watching others move ahead. I’ve believed thoughts like:

Those thoughts felt convincing, but they were not true.

Romans 11:29 reminds us, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

God does not withdraw His calling because of delays, detours, or difficult seasons.

What I saw as delay, He was using as development. Preparation in me. And preparation in the hearts of those who would one day receive what He asked me to offer. He places the fruit of our calling in the right hearts, at the right time, for His purpose.

We are not behind. We are being formed.

Even when nothing appears to be happening, roots are deepening. Strength is forming. Faith is stretching beneath the surface where no one else can see.

Moses spent forty years in the wilderness of Midian tending sheep before God called him to lead His people. What looked like a long detour was actually sacred preparation. In the quiet, unseen places, God was shaping in him the humility, endurance, and trust he would need for what lay ahead.

God is growing, shaping, and positioning us, regardless of age or stage. What feels hidden is not wasted. What feels delayed is not denied.

And when the time is right, what He has planted will bloom.

Not forced, nor frantic. Not striving to catch up.

But beautifully.
Purposefully.
And exactly when it should because…

What if we’re not behind at all?
What if God is still at work, even here, shaping us and not yet finished with us?
What if we’re simply becoming?

Reflect:  When or where in your life have you felt behind, side-lined, or out of sync? How might God be calling you to look at your life through His lens?

Will You Pray With Me? Lord, When I feel behind, overlooked, or out of sync, remind me that Your timing is perfect. Quiet the lies that say I’ve missed my chance. Help me trust that You are still growing, preparing, and positioning me for what You have called me to do. Amen.