Walk Worthy Press: Seasons by Bonnie Hopkins

Reading Group Questions

The following list of questions is designed to enhance a group or individual's thinking about or discussing some of the issues we hope you will consider after reading this book. This is designed as a starting point only and is not meant to limit the discussion.

In the prologue, Jaci is having a panic attack at the thought of walking down the aisle. What overriding emotion does the thought of marriage evoke in you—and why?
When you were twenty-one, what future did you anticipate? (Or if you have not yet reached that age, what are your expectations for it?) How does the present compare with those anticipations? How has your faith equipped you to deal with the contrast?
After her run-in with the dog, Jaci asks God, "Is this all I have to look forward to?" She acknowledges the many blessings in her life—and still wonders if the Lord doesn’t have something better in store for her. When have you asked God that kind of question? What answer did you get—and how did you respond?
Ron refuses to buckle to family pressures to get involved with the family businesses. How do you deal with similar expectations or pressures in your family? How does the biblical exhortation to honor your parents influence your decisions and how you communicate those decisions?
Gloria notes that Jaci was "programmed for failure" in a variety of ways in her job, but that the woman just refused to back down or give up. How have you been "programmed for failure" as a woman or as an African American? How have you responded to that challenge? How might you respond differently in the future, with Jaci as a role model and faith as your foundation?
J.P. offers Jaci a job, in large part as a strategy for getting to know her better. Does that strike you as being sweet or sneaky? Magnanimous or manipulative? Inspired or inviting a conflict of interests? Does it raise any flags related to job-related sexual harassment, or do you think it was a legitimate way to develop a relationship? Why?
Early on, J.P. shows evidence of having problems with jealousy. As a woman, how do you feel about a jealous man? Why? What does Scripture say that might caution us about getting involved with a brother who has a jealous streak? Is jealousy always a bad thing? Why or why not? (See Exodus 20:5; Numbers 5; Proverbs 27:4; see also texts relating to envy or covet.)
Often, shame and guilt about a less than godly past obstructs our ability to move forward in God’s blessings. Answer J.P.’s question for yourself: "If God is willing to forgive you, don’t you think you should be willing to forgive yourself?" Which is harder for you—accepting forgiveness from others or extending it to (or from) yourself? Why?
Jaci admits that she would like to share her life with a man, but she has a peace about being alone. Where are you on that journey? Are you married—and wishing you weren’t? Are you alone—and longing for a mate? What peace have you discovered when it comes to relationships between men and women? What role has your faith played in finding that measure of peace?
Have you ever noticed that your past has a way of forcing its way into your present at the worst possible time? Jaci wrestles inwardly at least to try for some semblance of control and godly grace in speaking with Maxie. Her prayers didn’t eliminate her human emotions, but the spiritual connection did help her to regulate them. How has prayer empowered you in similar ways?
By the time Jaci gets news of her grandmother’s failing health—and her denied vacation request—it’s clear that her current season is the rainy one, as in "when it rains, it pours"! Jaci’s response is to turn it all over to the Lord. What scriptures encourage you in the rainy season? How effectively are you able to surrender the trials and tribulations to God? How have you seen God prove himself able in those circumstances?
For Jason and Jaci, the issue of relating to each other’s families—and particularly to the other person’s child by a previous relationship—works out pretty smoothly. What experience do you have in negotiating such complex connections? How important is it to you that you get along with your man’s family—and that he get along with yours? Why?
After two months of silence, J.P. demands that Jaci leave the party with him. Was she too easy on him—or too hard? How would you have responded and why?
Jaci and Jason struggle but strive to resist the temptation to cross boundaries in their physical attraction for each other. How do you handle such temptations in your life? Where do you set your own boundaries—and how does Scripture and faith influence those decisions?
Linda goes after Jaci even though Jason is the one who rejected her. Why do women tend to blame each other instead of the man in a "love triangle"? How can we, as sisters in faith, resist that competitive spirit among ourselves?
Maxie might be the worst-case scenario for a baby daddy, but his belated interest in Randi and her children does raise questions about a father’s rights—and the rights of the father’s extended family. Recognizing the issue is a complex one, what is your feeling about a father’s rights? Do you think Jaci and Randi made the right decisions? Why or why not? What do you think about Maxie’s assertion that since he and Jaci have a child together, they will always be connected (and Jason’s rejection of the claim)?
Jaci reflects that the enemy wouldn’t be attacking her (through Linda) if this relationship with Jason wasn’t God’s will. How have you experienced that dynamic in your faith journey—that the more you strive to follow God, the more obstacles the adversary throws your way? How does your faith encourage and sustain you in those times?
The seven cousins share a particular bond that goes beyond time, distance, and even communication. Who in your life fulfills that role—of someone who knows who you were back in the day, who you are now, and what you need to become the person you want to be?
What can women—especially women of faith—do to support a friend or family member who, like Nita, is involved in an abusive relationship? What counsel or intervention would you offer?
Twice in the course of the novel, Jaci is confronted with job opportunities that seem good in many ways—but that also raise flags for her (first, with J.P.’s offer and later, with Wynola’s old position). When have you faced decisions about open doors? How does your faith influence your choices?
Jaci reflects that marriage required some unanticipated changes in her life. What kind of adjustments have you had to make (or will you consider making) with marriage? What kind of changes should one spouse expect of the other—and what adjustments are unreasonable efforts to control or subject? How do you discern the difference?
How is vision important in marriage as well as in career, ministry, and other areas of life? What can two people do to ensure they identify and pursue a shared vision in their relationship?
How do you think you would you feel if your husband believed anonymous accusations that you were cheating on him? Why was Jason vulnerable to such a strategy? Is any relationship invulnerable to those kinds of doubts? Why or why not? What can you do to gird your marriage or relationship against jealousy, doubts, and lack of trust?
In the end, Jaci recognizes that her late marriage and second round of parenting is the new season she had long prayed for—but that new season involved some challenging changes and terrifying transitions. Have you noticed that is often the case—that God answers a prayer through circumstances that drive us to our knees before we can recognize them as that answered prayer? What Scriptures have sustained you through those times of change and transition?