Timing Is Everything

I have been thinking a lot about timing recently.  It has been said that timing is everything.  It may not be everything but it certainly is important.

For example, you wouldn't feed a newborn baby a steak.  There is a certain progression from milk to puréed fruits and vegetables and cereals to eventually full meals including meat.  There is a general time frame for such progression.

The Scriptures even mention the importance of timing.  "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" -- Ecclesiastes 3:1

In fact the very next verse in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes says that there is a time to be born and a time to die amongst a myriad of other things. I find it interesting how crucial timing can be in our lives.

For instance we are told that we were born at this specific time in the history of the world because of our valience or lack thereof in the preexistence. Similarly, each of us has an appointed time to spend on earth to prove ourselves worthy to our Father in Heaven and to learn and grow.  Although none of us knows the length or time frame of our mortal probation.

"nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead." -- Alma 12:24

How we spend our appointed time here in mortality is crucial to our destiny in the eternities.  The timing of our opportunities granted and subsequent choices can make a huge difference in the outcome of our lives.

For instance, there are specific time frames for different opportunities in our life.  The window of opportunity to serve a full-time mission is limited to certain age restrictions.  I'm not sure what the upper limit is but males must be 18 and females must be 19 years old to qualify to serve.  The upper limit is probably somewhere in the mid-20s.  Obviously there are other requirements to qualify but for this post I'm just focusing on age.

That is certainly a small window of opportunity which if not taken during that time frame, is lost. The gravity of such a loss may not be fully realized until later in life or until the next life.  But the loss of such opportunity is devastating.  A young man or woman who does not take the opportunity to serve a full-time mission during the timeframe when the opportunity is available -- especially when commanded -- loses out on many promised blessings and forever alters their future.

I'm grateful I was smart enough to take the opportunity to serve full-time mission when I was 21.  It's like an accelerated learning course.  My life is much richer because I took the opportunity.

Just like my example of the progression of foods a baby can eat -- there is a natural progression of life experiences and expectations.

Those who are privileged to be born into the Church progress from nursery to Priesthood/Relief Society.  Each organization has an age range.  Secular schooling also has age progression from kindergarten through high school graduation.  And on to higher education.

Ideally as members of the Church we progress from baptism at age 8 through the various auxiliaries including primary young men/women, for the boys they progress through various priesthood offices which also have age restrictions, at least on the lower end.  The natural progression would be from serving a full-time mission to Temple marriage to bearing and raising children.

Why is there such an organized age-related progression in the Church? Because the Lord in His wisdom has designed it that way because we build upon foundations previously laid.  Line upon line precept upon precept. "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:" -- Isaiah 28:10

So the Lord wants us to continuously built upon the foundations we lay as we progress through life.

To be baptized we must have a simple knowledge of the gospel.  To serve a mission we should have progressed through those 10 or so years since baptism and have a larger foundation from which to preach the Gospel.  As we serve during those 18 months to two years we are continually learning and growing not only in the gospel but in life experiences.  Which then provides a better foundation on which to build a family, which would be the next step in the progression of life.

Now, we have been given numerous commandments, many of which require prerequisites or have specific time frames. The one I just mentioned, serving a full-time mission is one of them.  Another is,the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth which is obviously bound by the law of chastity.  According to God's laws, marriage must come before the bearing of children.  And missions must  come before marriage.  If you marry before serving a full-time mission, you have lost the opportunity and must wait many years to be granted the opportunity again. And by then all of your children will be raised and you will have missed all those blessings that could have helped you in raising a family.

Obviously those who make the mistake of bearing children before marriage are well aware of the severe consequences associated with the wrong timing and their bad choices.

President Kimball said the most important decision you will ever make is to marry the right person in the right place at the right time.  If any one of those variables is wrong, there will be consequences. Life will be more difficult.  You may marry the right person in the right place but if the timing is wrong, i.e. before serving missions, you will have missed that wonderful learning opportunity and chance to grow. You will be less mature and less able to face the stresses of marriage and kids.  And let's not forget, serving a mission is a commandment for all young men.  Therefore there will be consequences for breaking that commandment.

The window of opportunity for marriage and child rearing is also somewhat limited.  The experiences gained from the first two decades or so of life determine how well we are prepared for marriage and raising children.

Education is another example of how timing can be used to your advantage.  It is much easier to obtain your education while young.  Not only are you physically better able to learn but you are also better able to focus on your education and not other stresses in life that come as you grow older.

And of course as we reach the twilight years of life, we must continue to endure to the end and never give up on learning and progressing through mortality. Don't allow the windows of opportunity that the Lord grants us to learn and grow and progress through mortality to slip by you.  If you do, you will miss out on many blessings and much happiness.  Timing is everything.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" -- Ecclesiastes 3:1

That's my two cents.