You’re Not Late: God May Be Setting You Up for Something Beautiful

A few years ago, my family and I flew to New York for my cousin Steph’s fall wedding.

And let me tell you, it was beautiful.

It was one of those joyous family occasions where everybody is helping, getting dressed up, smiling, and everybody is trying to take just one more picture before the night ends. It was such a sweet thing to watch my cousin tie the knot with the man she loves.

Now, was it cold? Absolutely! But it was still beautiful.

A few days after all the wedding festivities wrapped up, my aunt Vio drove our family to the airport. We were tired, packed up, bundled up, and ready to get back home.

There was just one problem.

We were running late.

Not casually late. We were late enough that my airport anxiety started to creep in.

You know that feeling when you start mentally calculating how long security might take or wonder if you’re gonna miss your flight.

And to be fair, my aunt was doing her best to get through the brutal NY traffic. But then, while we were already running late, my aunt made one wrong turn.

Instead of entering the departures area, she entered arrivals.

Arrivals.

The place where people are being picked up, not dropped off.

Because of that one mistake, we had to completely exit the airport and start all over again!

The Turn

Y’all, can I be honest? I was exasperated and frustrated.

My aunt has lived in New York for decades. She has flown in and out of that airport numerous times over the years. So, in my mind, I could not understand how she managed to make that mistake at the exact moment when we were already pressed for time!

But then something interesting happened. As we were making the turn to re-enter the airport, we started seeing something that looked like dust falling toward the windshield.

At first, it didn’t fully register.

Then my aunt pointed it out.

It was snow.

Storytime

Now, here’s what you don’t know.

My sister and I had always wanted to see snow. We had been to Canada as kids, but we were way too young to remember it. So in our minds, we had never really experienced that moment of seeing snow fall from the sky.

And suddenly, there it was, falling right in front of us.

Suddenly, the whole mood in the car shifted.

We were smiling ear to ear. We were staring. We couldn’t get enough of it. Our aunt even shared that it was strange to see snow that time of the year in NY.

The very thing that had made me frustrated ended up positioning me to see something I had wanted to see for a long time.

What felt like a delay was actually God setting us up for a small gift. What felt like the wrong turn became the reason we saw the snow.

The very thing that had made me frustrated ended up positioning me to see something I had wanted to see for a long time. What felt like a delay was actually God setting us up for a small gift. #forsinglewomenonly Share on X

And maybe you are in that kind of space right now.

Maybe you feel like God has taken you the long way or maybe you feel like you are running late in life.

Late to marriage. Late to motherhood. Late to purpose. Late to healing. Late to clarity. Late to the life you thought you would have by now.

Maybe you are looking at your current situation and wondering, “Lord, why are You taking me this way?”

Maybe it feels like God is the one who made a wrong turn.

And because you know He is the Creator of the universe, that makes it feel even more confusing. You know He is all-knowing. You know He is sovereign. You know He doesn’t make mistakes.

So you’re left wondering why your life still feels delayed, rerouted, interrupted, or harder than necessary.

But could it be that God is setting you up to see something you’ve never seen before?

You're left wondering why your life still feels delayed, rerouted, interrupted, or harder than necessary.But could it be that God is setting you up to see something you've never seen before? #forsinglewomenonly Share on X

What you need to remember

Could it be that the detour is not punishment?

Could it be that the delay is not evidence that God forgot you?

Could it be that what looks like an inconvenience is actually part of His timing?

The Israelites probably didn’t understand their route either. When God delivered them from Egypt, He didn’t take them the shortest way. Exodus 13:17-18 says God led them around through the wilderness instead of taking them through the land of the Philistines, even though that was the more direct route.

In other words, God took them the long way on purpose.

Not because He was confused, didn’t know the map, or made a mistake.

He took them that way because He knew what they were not ready to face.

• Sometimes the long way is God’s protection.
• Sometimes the long way is God’s preparation.
• Sometimes the long way is God setting you up to see something you’ve never seen before.

Joseph’s life also looked like one painful detour after another. He was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and thrown into prison. For years, his life looked like it was moving in the opposite direction of the dream God gave him. But later, Joseph was able to say, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good”.

That doesn’t mean what happened to Joseph was easy.

It means God was working through what Joseph could not understand at the time.

And then there is Lazarus.

When Lazarus was sick, his sisters sent word to Jesus. They knew Jesus loved him and could heal him. But Jesus didn’t rush there immediately. John 11:5-6 says that even though Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, He stayed where He was for the next two days.

That delay must have felt confusing.

But Jesus was not late. He was setting the stage for a greater revelation of His power. Mary and Martha wanted healing. Jesus was about to reveal resurrection.

And that is the part you have to hold onto.

You may be asking God for one thing, while He is preparing to show you something better.

You may be asking God for one thing, while He is preparing to show you something better. #forsinglewomenonly Share on X

You may be asking Him to hurry, while He is arranging something you would have missed if everything had gone according to your plan.

You may be frustrated by the wrong turn, not realizing it is the very thing positioning you to see the miracle (in my case, snow!).

Sometimes, you are so focused on your timeline that you miss the tenderness of God in the middle of the delay.

You may be frustrated by the wrong turn, not realizing it is the very thing positioning you to see the miracle. #forsinglewomenonly Share on X

You are so focused on being “behind” that you miss the beauty He is allowing you to experience on the way.

You are so focused on what did not happen yet that you miss what He is doing right now.

But do not miss Him.

Do not miss the lesson.

Do not miss the protection.

Do not miss the preparation.

Do not miss the unexpected gift falling softly in front of you.

Because God doesn’t waste your detours. He doesn’t waste your waiting, tears, or frustration. And He doesn’t need the shortest route to get you exactly where He wants you to be.

So, if your life feels rerouted right now, take a breath.

You may not know why God allowed the inconvenience, interruption, or obstacle.

But you can trust God’s character.

You can trust that He sees what you cannot see, you can trust that He knows how to redeem the time, and you can trust that even when it feels like the long way, God is still leading you.

Maybe this isn’t the mistake you thought it was or the setback you assumed it was.

Maybe this is the place where God lets you see the snow.

Have you ever had a delay, detour, or disappointment that later turned out to be a blessing? Share your story in the comments. And if you are in a waiting season right now, do not rush past what God may be showing you. Subscribe to For Single Women Only for more encouragement, faith-filled reminders, and honest conversations for your single season.