TIMING is important, perhaps essential, in life. I appreciate the verse from Ecclesiastes 3:1: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”
The challenge is to recognize timing. The good things that happen to me are a result of appropriate timing—being in the right place at the right time. When the timing is off, either things don’t happen, or they may not have positive outcomes.
One morning this week as I was working on this blog, I looked up from my computer to see the rosy bright alpenglow on the Continental Divide. As I watched and wondered, it disappeared as quickly. I caught it at just the right time!
The Bible verse gives a conclusion about timing and includes more description. People in my generation, however, also are aware of the verses based on the popular song, Turn, Turn, Turn written by Pete Seger in 1959 and recorded by The Bryds in 1965.
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep…
A time to dance, a time to mourn…
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace…
A time to gain, a time to lose…
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late…
I am grateful for good timing during my life. The timing was good in 1974 when I had the opportunity to spend 6 months in Turkey with experiences that changed my world view forever.
It was perfect timing for me to be able to leave the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and spend the last 10 years of my career at NC State.
The timing was mostly right to retire so that I could pursue my second career of hiking and volunteering in the park. I loved my professional work but wanted to move to new opportunities while I was still at the top of my game, and while I was still energetic and healthy.
Although the timing is never right when someone passes, I am glad that my mother left this world before the COVID pandemic. She would have been unhappy in those quarantine circumstances. Although I would give anything to have her back, her passing enabled me to use my inheritance to do good things that I will see in my lifetime.
One never knows for sure if timing is right. Sometimes I don’t know if the timing has been wrong or missed, but I continue to learn lessons that help me appreciate the purpose of every season.