Sometimes, we meet the right person in the wrong season.

At least, that’s what we tell ourselves.

But how do we know?

My mom often says, “People are in your life for a reason or a season.” And while I agree, I also believe three things can be true.

Some people arrive for a short time.

Some arrive to teach us something.

And then there are some who stay.

They stay through many seasons. Through the lessons. Through the versions of you that even you barely recognize anymore.

So maybe the question isn’t always whether someone was meant to stay.

Maybe the questions are: Why? What was this person’s lesson for me? And how do we know when their season is over?

I don’t believe God makes coincidences. But I do believe that sometimes, you can find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But I don’t think we end up in the “wrong place” by chance.

The Thing About Timing

We never really know how much of it we have.

I think that’s part of why I can be such an anxious person. I want to get the most out of my time. I want to make the right decisions, take the right opportunities, be in the right places, and not miss what was meant for me.

But sometimes, I become so anxious about making the most of time that I tire myself out.

And isn’t that a waste of time, too?

It doesn’t get me anywhere—let alone to “the right place.”

Maybe that’s the lesson I’m still learning: not every moment has to be maximized.

Because you can’t be in two places at once.

You can’t take every opportunity.

You can’t make everyone happy.

And, despite how hard we may try, you can’t force everything to happen exactly when you want it to.

Not every person we meet is meant to become permanent.

And not every delay means we’ve missed our moment.

Maybe being somewhere other than where we thought we were supposed to be doesn’t mean we’re in the wrong place.

Maybe meeting someone at an inconvenient time doesn’t necessarily mean they were the wrong person.

And maybe some seasons only make sense once you’ve lived long enough to look back on them.

Maybe timing isn’t about constantly trying to figure out what happens next.

Maybe sometimes, the best thing we can do with the time we’re given is simply be present for it.

Because what good is having a full life if you’re too anxious to experience it?

I spend so much time worrying about whether I’m behind, whether I should have done something sooner, or whether I’m wasting time that sometimes I forget the most important part:

I’m here.

Right now.

In this season.

Even if I don’t fully understand why.

Maybe I don’t need to squeeze everything out of every moment.

Maybe I don’t need to have every season figured out before it begins.

Maybe I just need to stop long enough to actually live through it.