Timing the Shift
Timing the Shift, Neutral Before Next
Delay is not denial, neutral is not stuck, God’s timing is never late and never early.
Quick answer
What does it mean to move in God’s timing
It means pausing to align your pace with God’s plan, letting obedience lead and emotions follow, and taking the next faithful step when peace and provision agree.
Table of contents
Intro, why timing matters
Family, let us talk timing. When I first learned to drive a stick shift, I would start strong and then rush. Too far, too fast. The car would buck, stall, or stop. Timing mattered. Life feels the same. Push ahead too fast and you stall. Hold back too long and you miss momentum. Move with God, and it becomes smooth, powerful, and purposeful.
Story, a miracle on time
You have been walking this journey with me through our daughter’s story. In Episode 5, I shared how we fought back after hearing I was no longer a donor match and that it would take a miracle. That word did not scare us; it excited us, because miracles are God’s specialty.
We started the process in September. By October 7, not years later, but weeks, we received the call, a donor match. God’s timing was impeccable. With her first transplant, we kept bags packed for a year. This time, there were no bags and no over-preparing, not from doubt, but from trust. We prayed first for the donor family, because every gift of life carries a cost for someone else.
On the way to the hospital, we faced a test of patience. Forty long minutes waiting for lab results that could have canceled everything. We kept moving because faith is a function and not a feeling. At ten o’clock sharp, the call came, and she was still a match. Keep moving.
Hours later, the surgeon hesitated; he said her EKG concerned him, and she might not survive. While I was processing, my daughter looked at me and said, this kidney is mine, and if I go to heaven before you, I will be with Jesus, Nana, and Papa J. Do not worry about me. That was holy ground. Minutes later, the nephrologist cleared her, and the surgery proceeded, resulting in a successful outcome. She has been living her best life.
Here is the twist. Months later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. If I had donated a kidney, my body would not have been ready for the next fight. Timing. God’s timing. The no to me was a bigger yes, to both of us. Delay was not denial; it was preparation and protection.
Teaching and insight
Timing is a teacher. Human impulse craves immediacy; divine wisdom forms in seasons.
Delay is not denial. That forty-minute pause formed endurance and trust.
Pace is part of purpose. The first time we waited with tension and packed bags, this time we rested in trust.
Faith over feeling. Our daughter’s declaration showed that faith speaks and acts even when emotions are shaking.
God protects with pace. Closed doors and slowed steps can be God’s shield, not His punishment.
Real-life connections
Career. You want the title, God is building the tools. Slow preparation increases long-term influence.
Relationships. Healthy pacing creates clarity and covenant, forcing timelines breeds fear and confusion.
Health. Quick fixes fade, consistent rhythms create longevity, rest, and nourishment are spiritual.
Calling and creativity. The door is real, and character is still catching up. Waiting protects you from premature exposure.
Finances. Fast flips create fast falls; wise stewardship compounds peace and stability.
Practical wisdom, Neutral Before Next
When you are tempted to sprint, shift to neutral, not to coast, to align.
Pray, two minutes. Father, I surrender my pace to Your plan. Order my steps today.
Pause, three minutes of silence. Inhale, Jesus. Exhale, I trust You.
Scripture check. Read Ecclesiastes 3 verse 1 or Psalm 27 verse 14 slowly, twice.
Surrendered plan. Write three priorities at most. Ask, is this God led or ego-led.
One faithful step. Schedule one action that honors God’s timing, prepare, study, reconcile, or rest.
Stoplight rule. If it feels forced, red. If peace and provision align, green. If unclear, yellow, wait and watch.
Application
Some of us pray away the very things God sent to prepare us. We call divine interruptions disruptions. We push our own pace and prolong the journey. Israel turned an eleven-day trek into forty years. Do not let impatience keep you circling the same mountain.
Scripture anchor
Ecclesiastes 3 verse 1, ESV
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
Reflection question
Where are you tempted to rush right now, and what one surrendered step can you take this week to practice God’s timing instead of your own timeline
