He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds . . . Ecclesiastes 3:11
We are clock collectors, my husband and I. One of our first purchases after we became
engaged was a beautiful, wooden mantle clock that we found at a rummage sale at our local church. It was nearly fifty years old then and rubbing our hands over the silky smooth wood, we wondered what this clock had witnessed in those days gone by, who its bells rang for in that time, and as a young couple, thinking ahead fifty years was unimaginable. After polishing the wood and brass, and its beauty came to life, it soon became a prized possession, proudly displayed on a bookcase, long before we were fortunate enough to have a mantle! Then, several years later for a milestone anniversary, we purchased our grandfather clock. Tall and stately, its Westminster chimes nestled behind its beautiful face fill the house with a gentle, sing-song rhythm of sound, counting the quarters and hours in the day. It is peaceful and reliable. Even watching the shiny, brass pendulum sway has a mesmerizing, calming affect. When another week has gone by and it's noticed that the weights need to be drawn back up, there is always a measure of amazement at how quickly that week passed by.
Our family has had more clocks than we can count! Many have been gifted to us, and many we have given as gifts. We have an Angel clock which plays a variety of music as the angels come out of little doors on the hour playing their instruments. The babies and toddlers in the family, hold their breath, their little faces alight with awe as they patiently wait for the little angels to show themselves on the hour!! We also have had a variety of wall clocks and table clocks over the years, and it seems we've had every kind of alarm clock made in an effort to get everyone in the house up on time! A "Big Ben" was my husband's favorite, it's loud, clang would "wake the dead," I used to tell him! Then, thankfully one day he was willing to try a radio based alarm clock. It sure is more pleasant waking and listening to Talk Radio, vs. clanging one can feel down to their toes! And watches? We won't even go there.
How we are preoccupied with time and the need for our timepieces, whatever they are, all of us! How we measure moments and hours and sometimes place unnecessary pressure on ourselves with the schedules we keep! How frequently we wish moments, an hour or even a day away, when we have somewhere else we'd rather be or something else we'd rather be doing. How often do we dwell in the past, yearning for a time that seemed more simple and carefree to us, and fearful of the unknown times ahead?
We too, have all experienced the feeling of time appearing to stand still; a feeling of being disconnected, of being in limbo or a time warp, such as during times of grieving. We as a Nation felt that September 11, 2001. Time marches on . . . Yes, “he has put a sense of past and future in” our minds.
I find myself thinking a lot these days, about a saying that is quite popular today which goes something like this, 'I may not understand it, but I do believe at this moment, I am exactly where God wants me to be.' What calm that saying brings to any situation we are in! On reflection of those words, we can more fully experience the value, the meaning, the lesson God has for us in any given moment of our lives. And it gives us courage and hope as we look forward to all our moments ahead.
We may not understand the purpose Lord, or what your plan may be, but with faith we know we are where you mean for us to be at this moment in time. Abba! We are yours!
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson