The Gift of Time
"My times are in the hands of the Lord"
--Psalm 31:15
These days one of the most important things I do for self care is getting up early to journal, read, and pray. I have a particular chair in my living room that is my designated spot for my morning practice. A few days ago in the quietness of my prayer time, I was deeply distracted by a disturbing sound. "Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock."
The more I tried to ignore the sound the louder it seemed to get. "Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock."A background sound, which is a daily sound in my house, suddenly seemed to reverberate in my soul and rattle my mind. I found I could not get into a more peaceful state of being until I actually addressed the disruption. As I walked through my living room and kitchen, I discovered the culprits.
After I took the batteries out of the clock in my living room and the clock in my kitchen, it seemed the whole energy of my house shifted. Suddenly, there was a tranquil hum, which also shifted the energy in my mind, body, and spirit to a more peaceful tempo. As I thought about how the noisy cadence was due to the inner mechanics of the clocks, I thought about how true this is for us as well.
In reality, time is a human made construct. We have constructed a reality of time that often causes us to feel as if we are anxiously trying to catch up or hold on. Many approach the construct they have created like a fire-breathing dragon they must slay. Think about how we, as a culture, speak of time.
"I am too busy."
" I don't have time to..."
"There just aren't enough hours in the day."
"I am on a time crunch."
"If only I had more time to..."
"We can save time by..."
"We are running out of time."
A droning metronome of tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock, becomes the rhythm of our lives because of the ways we think about time.
Although it is true that there is much beyond our control (especially in these days), we do control our thoughts and beliefs about time. The scriptures remind us we are not the creators of the universe, God and God alone is. God's timing is not our timing. All the moments we are given in which we breathe the breath of life into our lungs and are able to experience the wonders of this world that God has created is a gift.
Just by shifting our perspective of time as being a gift rather than a curse can transform the rhythm of our days. God has given us the gift of time. We have the power to choose how we think about and receive this gift. God provides us everything we need, even enough time. For as the Psalmist says, "My times are in the hands of the Lord." May you discover this gift each day.
Blessings, Rev. Shana Johnson, ISC Conference Minister