Wasn't it only just yesterday (March) when we began grappling with this new normal of being confined to our homes? just a couple of hours ago that I said, "June, already?!" and now we find ourselves securely in July, at least for the next two nanoseconds.
Numerous journal entries through the years attest that this phenomenon is nothing new, many beginning with, "I can't believe it's [insert current month here] already." Some say that whether time seems to go fast or slow depends upon your level of activity, your attention to being in the moment. But if that is true, shouldn't the intense slow down of the past four months have translated in a slowing of time as well? or at lease our sense of it? Instead, 2020 seems to be hurtling into the past at a much more alarming rate than usual.
Or is it just me?
Personally, I hold to the (possibly romantic) notion that since God is the Author of Time, He can speed it up or slow it down at His will. I mentioned this to a friend the other day and she was amused but gently dismissive of the idea.
One of my favorite lines in a fiction novel reads:
", but it was a day in which forever after James would say that time stood still; minutes had stretched into hours and hours felt like days."
Have you experienced this? I very much hope that you have, because days like that are a rare gift.
If God extends the day for our pleasure, might-en He also shorten the day to avoid pain and suffering? I believe there is evidence in scripture that suggests both:
In Joshua 10, the Lord answers Joshua's prayer: "So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day."
Matthew 24, speaking about the days of tribulation: "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."
Regardless of my theology, one thing is certain, God expects us to be wise about how we spend our time.
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Eph 5:16)
5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Col 4:5)
Redeeming the time.
I come back and ponder this phrase at least once a year. What does it mean, anyway? to redeem time. Buy back, pay off, exchange for something more valuable, offset a shortcoming, fulfill a promise.
If time is a commodity and God is the banker, what am I doing with the time He is giving me that I can ultimately give back to Him? When God opens the ledger book with my name on it and compares the columns, well, let's just say that I'm thankful for the nail-scarred hand that will reach out and mark my account paid in full.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Rom 8:1)
Still, that doesn't mean that I shouldn't be any less wise about how I redeem the time. And the faster time seems to pass (real or imagined) the more diligent I need to be in this area. Beloved, the sand is running through the hourglass and when it's gone . . . we don't get to flip the glass.
Let me encourage you to check your lamps for oil. Trim the wick.
May we all be mindful of how we redeem the time we have been given.
Shalom,
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If you read something here that inspired you, I’d love to hear about it. Please know I appreciate every comment! Thanks so much for stopping by! Blessings, June