I was recently having a meeting with someone in my church office and happened to look over at the clock and noticed that it had stopped working. Now this was frustrating because I had just put a new battery in it a day or two beforehand, so it should have been working fine. Yet, it wasn’t. Then I recalled that this was the fourth clock I had had in my office over the years, all of which stopped working in a short period of time (even a plug-in electric, digital alarm clock!). For some reason my church office just does not like clocks!
Later that day, in reflecting upon the situation, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the words found in 2 Peter 3:8: “But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day” (NRSV). God’s time does not flow like ours does. I am quite certain that there are no clocks in heaven. So, I had to ask myself – why was I so worried about having one in my office? Why do any of us find ourselves so caught up in what time it is?
Certainly, we all have commitments that happen at specific times. We eat at regular intervals throughout the day, and we may have an appointment at a specified hour, or the need to take medication at various points, all of which keeping up with the time useful. Yet, a lot of our day is not as structured, is it? Much of what we are called to do is not centered on it being done by 10am or 2pm. It’s in those moments that, I think, God is calling us to live in the moment. Allow whatever time we have to be lived to the fullest, making connections with others, relating to God, following the example of Jesus and serving others alongside the Holy Spirit. More often than not, I have found, when we conduct our lives in this manner, hours seem like minutes.
So, should we simply throw away our clocks and watches? No, for we are still called to live in this world, which is bound by time. Yet, that does not mean we should find ourselves ruled by it. Take as many opportunities as we can to live in the moment, taking as much time as is needed to enjoy where we are and who we are with, basking in the glorious revelation of God’s time that is so unlike ours. How are you being called to do so today?
Always pondering,
Pastor Steve
