Time

"The secret of life is enjoying the passing of time." - James Taylor

As I sit in my office preparing for tonight's Thanksgiving Eve Service, and the sharing of "Words of Thanksgiving" that will be spoken spontaneously by members of the congregations, I find myself reflecting on what I am truly thankful for this year. It's a good exercise that should be done more often, rather than just once a year, for we should be a people characterized by our thankfulness to God for his blessings. And I admit that this year I am surprised by my answer to the question, "What are you thankful for?".

Yes, I am deeply thankful to God for my wife and my children, for these are the most amazing of blessings to me. I am deeply thankful for my extended family and the meaningful way they impact my life to this day. I am deeply thankful for this congregation to which I have been called to serve, and in sort of a strange way, even thankful for some of their "idiosyncrasies". I am thankful for colleagues and friends. I am thankful for health. But most of all, and most surprising to me, I find myself, this year, thankful for the passing of time.

Usually the passing of time has been something that I've lamented. I want the moment to stretch out and last longer than it does. I want an extra day on the vacation, a few more minutes with my wife, an extended day of rest, a few more hours in the week. More often than not, I am wishing life would slow down and time would not pass by. But here I am today, truly thankful for time's passage.

It has been a long couple of years in many ways. Transitions here at church, and the unknown future accompanying that transition. A new child at home (who turns 2 today). A recovery from a surgical procedure that dragged on and on. A bad back that reminds me I am getting older. And in the midst of all that, time seemed to drag and practically stand still. But now I find myself on the other side of all of that (well, almost...I can at least see what's ahead now). And standing on this side of it, I am thankful that it has passed. That time has marched on. I am thankful that part of God's plan is the passing of time.

Truly for everything there is a season. Implied in that great passage of scripture from Ecclesiastes is the understanding that one season will pass, and a new season will begin. I know not what season I am about to enter into, but with a deep thankfulness for God's faithfulness, I look forward to this new season of life and ministry, and give thanks today for the passage of time.