Last week, while travelling in another part of France, something caught my eye.
The wheat and barley were still standing.
Only a few hours from home, where the harvest has already been completed, these fields were still golden, full and waiting. The contrast was striking. They had experienced the same summer, the same intense heatwave that swept across much of Europe, and many of the same long, sunny days.
Yet they weren’t ready for harvest.
As I stood looking across those fields, I realised how often we assume everyone is living through life at the same pace.
We compare ourselves with colleagues, friends, neighbours and even strangers on social media. Someone receives a promotion while we’re still waiting for an opportunity. Someone launches a successful business while we’re trying to find our footing. Someone appears to have reached a destination we’re still working towards.
It’s easy to conclude that we’re behind.
But perhaps we’re asking the wrong question.
Agriculture reminds us that every field has its own conditions. The soil is different. The variety may be different. The amount of sunlight, rainfall and shelter all play a part in determining when the crop is ready.
No farmer would look across at a neighbouring field and decide to harvest simply because someone else had started. Harvest too early and the grain hasn’t reached its full potential. Wait too long and quality can be lost.
The timing matters.
Life and leadership are no different.
We all experience the same seasons, but not in exactly the same way.
Some people seem to discover their calling early in life. Others spend years learning, growing and preparing before stepping into the opportunity that was always meant for them.
Some businesses grow rapidly. Others build steadily over decades.
Some relationships flourish quickly. Others deepen slowly, becoming stronger because of the time invested in them.
None of these journeys are wrong.
They’re simply different.
I wonder how much unnecessary pressure we place on ourselves because we’re measuring our progress against someone else’s timetable.
Perhaps the better question isn’t, “Why haven’t I reached their harvest?”
Perhaps it’s, “Am I being faithful in my own season?”
As I continued walking, I realised those standing fields weren’t late.
They weren’t behind.
They were exactly where they needed to be.
There’s something wonderfully freeing about that thought.
Not every field is ready at the same time.
Not every opportunity arrives in the same season.
Not every life follows the same timetable.
And perhaps that’s exactly how it’s meant to be.
Closing Thought
Don’t compare your season with someone else’s harvest. Your time will come when your field is ready.