Time

Time

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“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭4‬, ‭NIV‬‬.

Last week I looked at the clouds through the half-opened shutters. Then at the suitcase still filled with travel clothes which lay open under the clock. What had changed from last night? The room was the same, I was the same, but our calendar was different.

A year’s end is unique and special. Time moves forward in a way that we believe we have finally gained victory over it, even if it’s only for a ten second countdown. Regardless of its false security, we celebrate it annually.

We humans desire to control that which we deem wild. And we view time as that last frontier which is to be trained, controlled and subdued.

From the beginning, that was our charge— “to subdue the earth,” Genesis 1:28.

But we were never able to subdue time. It has its own unique wild heart. It doesn’t obey, cannot be caught or stopped. It just moves slowly, or all too often quickly, depending on the watcher. Yet, time always moves at its own pace.

Every January 1st we flip the calendar over, put a new one on a wall, and begin again. That’s our false, yet seasoned hope for control over this illusive creation. For one day we celebrate the passing of that which has guided us for days and weeks and months. We then grab its tale, holding on to it for a second, and shout “Victory,” as the clock strikes.

We might think, “If we can hold onto time, can’t we hold on to and control our own lives as well?”

As I write I am unaware that my coffee is half gone or that the clock has raced on without me. I mechanically sip and type, and I realize I control nothing. Not the weather, nor my aging. It will all just happen. I am a participant on this planet, not the Creator of it. It’s humbling to realize. But it’s also so very reassuring.

I don’t need to fight against the passing of time; I can simply live in its God given gift and enjoy the day God has given me.

“This is the day the LORD has made.”

Every day is a gift from our Father. Everyday has its sameness but also thoughtful gifts throughout, if we chose to notice them. But like the day before, some of these gifts have an expiration. Time is one such gift.

We might not be able to control time, but we can learn to appreciate its gift to us. New days. Fresh starts. The old has passed away. Every day we are allowed to start over, ask for forgiveness when needed, and move on into God’s unchanging timeless grace.

My question will always be, “What will I accomplish with the time I have been given today?”

I will put my clothes away and place my suitcase in the closet, with hope of future usage—only time will tell.

Time is never a friend or a foe. It doesn’t exist to please or to punish. It’s like the air we breathe; we work within its boundaries. We gave this force of nature a name, “Time,” believing we could control it. But at the end of every year as the tail of the 31st flicks in front of us, we still reach out with the hope to hold on to it that elusive moment.

My question for you is, what are you doing with the time you have today?

Father,

There are so many mysteries that we humans attempt to solve. Thank You for being not only present, kind and good, but also mysterious. We will never figure You out in totality but thank You for making the journey interesting.

Thank You that You created time. That puzzle alone keeps my mind occupied.

Thank You that though I may not understand, I trust You do. My faith isn’t in a clock or a puzzle; it’s in the Creator who made everything.

Thank You that every day brings with it a newness of a fresh start. The old things that are forgiven are gone. This is the day You have made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Today we desire to use our time wisely getting to know You better.

Thank You.

Amen.