To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Isaiah 8:20 NIV
And so, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…”
How do we learn proper timing?
Ever been kicked awake!?
Hey! Time to get up. We’re burning daylight!
“Man… daylight? What daylight? What time is it? What are you so excited about?”
Now we go!
“I need to eat, get a cup of coffee…”
No time. Plus everything is packed up… cept’ you and your bedroll.
Shake the cobwebs out, stretch and get some water in you. I just have to tie up this last bundle and we can go.
You can finish putting out the fire.
“Yyaaaawwwn!”
You ready? Good. Let’s go.
“What’s today’s lesson? ‘How to break an ankle.'”
Today’s lesson my boy… TIMING, timing is everything. But how do we learn timing? What is it? How to tap into it?
“I can’t see my hand in front of my face, much less my watch, what kind of timing are you talking about?”
As we make our way along this climb of life we run into struggle, we run into obscurity, we run into the battle smoke of life… and we run into epiphanies and moments of clarity.
As we learn about ourselves, learn how to quiet our minds and spirit, through proper repetitions of proper techniques we can begin to feel and see what proper timing is.
The simplest form of timing that we can see is one provided by comedians. The best at his job was Johnny Carson. For almost thirty years people tuned in by the droves to watch him and his guests.
He had a secret. A trick he learned. Yep, even the greatest at a thing learned most of it from someone who came before them.
Johnny was a master of timing. His guests were the beneficiaries of his ability to set them up. And he was at his utmost best when he and the guest would go off script and play off of one another.
Look it up on YouTube the banter between him and Bob Uecker… classic.
He explained the trick in an interview. He said he learned all his timing from watching and studying Stan Laurel… of Laurel and Hardy fame. If you go back even further and watch Stan… then watch Johnny… you can see how well Johnny learned the lesson of timing.
Timing as a follower and as a leader is a building block skill… but it takes continual practice, application and review to hone it to a rapier wit, a strategists planning, or a followers ability to anticipate his employers needs before he asks.
With the leaders they are always trying to use timing to prognosticate, divine or otherwise stay ahead of the future.
Continuing to stay in a state of situational awareness is key… taking in all the sights and sounds of the times happening around you… that indicate to you what time it is.
Focused on the climb? That’s good.
How about what’s happening around you?
“Man… you were on a mission. It was hard keeping up with you. I’ve been practicing my situational awareness more and more. I am starting to develop that sixth sense. I am starting to ‘feel’ things before they actually transpire. I’m keeping my mouth shut more… but still working on that. I can read people better, I can…”
Hey!
Take a look. We’re there!
Ever been glad to see the morning? First the darkest 4a.m. hour, then the misty mists… and then the glory. It’s no wonder peoples throughout history worshiped the sun… it just feels life giving!
And in His infinite wisdom the Lord has the sun wound up to set… and to rise… on time… every time.
The sun rising is as faithful as… well… the sun rising, it hasn’t been late yet! How are you doing on your timing? Faithful? Unfaithful? Practicing?
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