Every Spring and Fall, Texa and I would make the rounds to our clocks and digital devices, changing them forward an hour and then back to make the days "longer," as if time was in our hands. "Fall Forward and Spring Back" is what I would always say to Texa. Yet, deep down, I knew that the sun's rising and setting followed God's divine schedule. Time was beyond our control; we could only choose to be fully present in the moments granted to us.
"For man also knoweth not his time," Ecclesiastes 9:12 reminds us. Life is unpredictable, often catching us off guard like a sudden snare capturing unsuspecting fish or birds. It rushes forward like a blinding flash of light, followed by encompassing darkness as thick as the one that descended upon the land of Egypt during the Israelites' quest for redemption.
The day Texa passed away shattered any illusion I had about my ability to control time or foresee the future. I couldn't turn back the clock, reclaiming even a single hour from the days, weeks, or months before her passing. In an instant, a line was drawn across the timeline of my life, dividing it into a "before" and an "after."
We must not waste the precious and irretrievable hours we are given, for we are all just one breath away from eternity. Life is a transient phenomenon, swiftly rolling by and dissipating like a fleeting flash as if it never happened at all.
Clocks hold no power over the length and quality of our days. Love, laughter, and kindness are the true measures of a well-lived life. None of us knows when our journey will reach its end. It can arrive unexpectedly, catching us off guard. And when it does, the surprise engulfs those left behind, for they never saw it coming. Yet, God, who knows the end from the beginning, foresaw it all. He may not have prevented it, as it was part of His divine plan.
Confronting that time rests in God's hands, I invest the hours given to me in meaningful pursuits. I pour myself into the lives of those around me, sharing what truly matters and cherishing my loved ones. Love is the ultimate goal. A good name, filled with love, surpasses a house teeming with riches but devoid of affection.
"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom," Psalm 90:12 implores.
1 comment
This would be a huge blessing. I am recently a single mom of 3.