--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think timing is better left up to God…" description: "\"“I think timing is better left up to God to decide then religious leaders. I once met a man that brought his wife flowers in the hospital. They held ha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/shannon-l-alder-363_choosing_i-think-timing-is-better-left-up-to-god_710630.jpg" --- # I think timing is better left up to God to decide then… ![“I think timing is better left up to God to decide then religious leaders. I once met a man that brought his wife flowers in the hospital. They held hands, kissed and were as affectionate as any cute couple could be. They were both in their eighties. I asked them how long they were married. I…” quote by Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/shannon-l-alder-363_choosing_i-think-timing-is-better-left-up-to-god_710630.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/shannon-l-alder-363_choosing_i-think-timing-is-better-left-up-to-god_710630.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/shannon-l-alder-363_choosing_i-think-timing-is-better-left-up-to-god_710630.jpg) > ““I think timing is better left up to God to decide then religious leaders. I once met a man that brought his wife flowers in the hospital. They held hands, kissed and were as affectionate as any cute couple could be. They were both in their eighties. I asked them how long they were married. I expected them to tell me fifty years or longer. To my surprise, they said only five years. He then began to explain to me that he was married thirty years to someone that didn’t love him, and then he remarried a second time only to have his second wife die of cancer, two years later. I looked at my patient (his wife) sitting in the wheelchair next to him smiling. She added that she had been widowed two times. Both of her marriages lasted fifteen years. I was curious, so I asked them why they would even bother pursuing love again at their age. He looked at me with astonishment and said, “Do you really think that you stop looking for a soulmate at our age? Do you honestly believe that God would stop caring about how much I needed it still, just because I am nearing the end of my life? No, he left the best for last. I have lived through hell, but if I only get five years of happiness with this woman then it was worth the years of struggle I have been through.”” [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love and hope can persist at any age; spiritual belief can inspire seeking connection despite past suffering. **In simple terms:** Love and faith can survive late in life. Key Takeaway Seek meaningful relationships regardless of age. Themes love faith resilience Mood hopeful inspirational Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - elder care - counseling - support groups - personal reflection Key Concepts spirituality human connection aging Questions to Reflect On - What motivates people to pursue love later in life? - How does faith influence coping with loss? A Different Perspective The anecdote may not represent broader experiences of older adults. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choosing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choosing/) [Cute couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cute-couple/) [Decide Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decide-religious-5606429/) [Elderly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elderly/) [Fifteen years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifteen-years/) [Five years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-years/) [God Decide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-decide-1544003/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Marriages Lasted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriages-lasted-3295968/) [Married Expected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/married-expected-4121782/) [Misleading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misleading/) [Nearing The End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nearing-the-end/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Patients](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patients/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) [Religious leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-leaders/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [Soulmates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soulmates/) [Staying positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staying-positive/) [Stayingpositiveu-com](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stayingpositiveu-com/) [Stop caring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-caring/) [Struggles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggles/) [Thirty years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirty-years/) [Times Marriages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times-marriages-5606430/) [Timing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/timing/) [True love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-love/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Two Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-time/) [Two years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-years/) [Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [She thought about how marvelous is would be to have a wife keeping the house in order, the meals on the table. 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Instead, commit your time to explaining who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-waste-your-time-trying-to-explain-yourself-to-people-that-are/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“God is going to send you someone that will rescue you. Then one day you will rescue them in return and together your story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-is-going-to-send-you-someone-that-will-rescue-you-then-one-day/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“You can be bit in the leg by a rattlesnake and seek help to heal your wound, or you can run after it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/you-can-be-bit-in-the-leg-by-a-rattlesnake-and-seek-help-to-heal-your/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“It is not the self respect and pride that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind to your children that matters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-is-not-the-self-respect-and-pride-that-you-take-with-you-but-the/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“The art of being wise is the art of knowing that solutions don’t come from individuals, but rather experiences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-art-of-being-wise-is-the-art-of-knowing-that-solutions-don-t-come/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“If you have feelings for someone, let them know. It doesn’t matter if they can be in your life or not. Maybe, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/if-you-have-feelings-for-someone-let-them-know-it-doesn-t-matter-if/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“After every storm, there is a rainbow. If you have eyes, you will find it. If you have wisdom, you will create it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/after-every-storm-there-is-a-rainbow-if-you-have-eyes-you-will-find/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Don’t ever feel bad that someone couldn’t give you all of their heart. Be grateful that you can take the least complicated part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-ever-feel-bad-that-someone-couldn-t-give-you-all-of-their-heart/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“I don't know why anyone would be scared of a homeless person. The truly scary people are all the murder mystery writers. They spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/i-don-t-know-why-anyone-would-be-scared-of-a-homeless-person-the/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Until you have stood in another woman’s stilettos, you will never begin to know the year of pain she felt breaking them in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/until-you-have-stood-in-another-woman-s-stilettos-you-will-never/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“I don't understand women that call themselves a "bitch". It doesn't empower a woman. Rather, it reveals to everyone that you were deeply hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/i-don-t-understand-women-that-call-themselves-a-bitch-it-doesn-t/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“ The Prodigal Son They gave the deep end of their heart--a hue of crimson red, They whispered their desire and offered up their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-prodigal-son-they-gave-the-deep-end-of-their-heart-a-hue-of/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) [Explore all 639 Shannon L. Alder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) ## More Choosing quotes > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [Choosing a job or business is the same thing. I'm not the best one to advise someone how to make billions of dollars; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-roy/choosing-a-job-or-business-is-the-same-thing-i-m-not-the-best-one-to/) [Rachel Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-roy/) > [Choosing how you live should be up to you not the people that would criticise your well being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-hayward/choosing-how-you-live-should-be-up-to-you-not-the-people-that-would/) [Courtney Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-hayward/) > [I'm very smart when it comes to choosing dancers and trying to show the world that there's a whole lot of dancing going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/i-m-very-smart-when-it-comes-to-choosing-dancers-and-trying-to-show/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [Anyone who will look at my life from the outside won't see the struggles inside. Sometimes, things are not always as we see or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanda-kaushik/anyone-who-will-look-at-my-life-from-the-outside-won-t-see-the/) [Chanda Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanda-kaushik/) > [I can always choose, but I ought to know that if I do not choose, I am still choosing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/i-can-always-choose-but-i-ought-to-know-that-if-i-do-not-choose-i-am/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Choosing what you want to do, and when to do it, is an act of creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcwilliams/choosing-what-you-want-to-do-and-when-to-do-it-is-an-act-of-creation/) [Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcwilliams/) > [“So much must be established at birth . . . in the random choosing of a name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-barich/so-much-must-be-established-at-birth-in-the-random-choosing-of-a-name/) [Bill Barich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-barich/) > [The thing that counts most in the pursuit of happiness is choosing the right companion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/the-thing-that-counts-most-in-the-pursuit-of-happiness-is-choosing/) [Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/) > [“In choosing a mate, don't pick the tallest and most handsome or the most beautiful. Don't choose one just because that person raises your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-quist-milligan/in-choosing-a-mate-don-t-pick-the-tallest-and-most-handsome-or-the/) [Helen Quist Milligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-quist-milligan/) > [I see myself as a roving mosquito, choosing it's target.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-williams/i-see-myself-as-a-roving-mosquito-choosing-it-s-target/) [Kenneth Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-williams/) > [Travel, I was coming to realize, was a metaphor not only for the countless options life offers but also for the fact that choosing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-potts/travel-i-was-coming-to-realize-was-a-metaphor-not-only-for-the/) [Rolf Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-potts/) > [“If I am to choose between integrity and wealth, I will go for integrity because I believe that lack of integrity is the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/if-i-am-to-choose-between-integrity-and-wealth-i-will-go-for/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Every time I've gotten myself into trouble, it's because I'm choosing a project based on a long-term career goal as opposed to something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/every-time-i-ve-gotten-myself-into-trouble-it-s-because-i-m-choosing/) [Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/) > [Growing up as a singer, and a cast member, and now as an adult, a songwriter, I get the luxury of choosing the kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/growing-up-as-a-singer-and-a-cast-member-and-now-as-an-adult-a/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) [Browse all 585 Choosing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choosing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I think timing is better left up to God to decide then religious leaders. I once met a man that brought his wife flowers in the hospital. They held hands, kissed and were as affectionate as any cute couple could be. They were both in their eighties. I asked them how long they were married. I expected them to tell me fifty years or longer. To my surprise, they said only five years. He then began to explain to me that he was married thirty years to someone that didn’t love him, and then he remarried a second time only to have his second wife die of cancer, two years later. I looked at my patient (his wife) sitting in the wheelchair next to him smiling. She added that she had been widowed two times. Both of her marriages lasted fifteen years. I was curious, so I asked them why they would even bother pursuing love again at their age. He looked at me with astonishment and said, “Do you really think that you stop looking for a soulmate at our age? Do you honestly believe that God would stop caring about how much I needed it still, just because I am nearing the end of my life? No, he left the best for last. I have lived through hell, but if I only get five years of happiness with this woman then it was worth the years of struggle I have been through.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shannon L. Alder" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/i-think-timing-is-better-left-up-to-god-to-decide-then-religious/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choosing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/i-think-timing-is-better-left-up-to-god-to-decide-then-religious/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/shannon-l-alder-363_choosing_i-think-timing-is-better-left-up-to-god_710630.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/shannon-l-alder-363_choosing_i-think-timing-is-better-left-up-to-god_710630.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/shannon-l-alder-363_choosing_i-think-timing-is-better-left-up-to-god_710630.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think timing is better left up to God to decide then religious leaders. I once met a man that brought his…” — Shannon L. 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