Ethan is obsessed with the time. His handsome blue eyes become fixated on our digital kitchen clock. Panic sets in, his young brow furrows, and he wrings his hands.
"Dad! It's 7:26! We missed breakfast!"
"Son, don't worry. Just sit and eat."
"But, Dad! You said the other day we need to start eating by 7:25 to make it to school on time. Now it's 7:26. We are going to be late for school."
"Ethan, buddy, we'll be fine. Just sit and eat. Please just trust me. I will not let you be late, OK?"
"Aaaahhh! Now it's 7:31! Are we going to be late, now?!"
Ella calmly looks on while munching contentedly on her Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch.
Now in the car, things do not improve. He asks numerous times every minute what time it is as he strains against his seatbelt in an attempt to glimpse the clock above the dash.
"Will we have to get a late pass? Brady was late the other day and he had to sit in the office. Will I have to sit in the office? My teacher does not allow us to be late. What time is it, Daddy?!"
As I hiked and prayed the other day, the Lord really brought a new light to this entire scene.
After leaving the fire station, I headed out to a new set of trails the City of Prescott just opened. Some questions had come up that I really wanted to take before the Lord. Once I had hiked for a bit, I found a great vantage point on a boulder sticking out of the ground like a Volkswagen Beetle on end. I tried to calm rushing thoughts—pushing out all distractions so I could better hear from my Maker. Vanuatu had been heavy on my mind during the night. When would we leave for the island nation? Could we really raise our monthly budget? Who would our supporters be? Will I be licensed as a minister before we leave?
My attention was diverted to some cows grazing in the distance. Black dots against a green canvas —well, green for Arizona is more of "rotting avocado" than a true vibrant "green". I was far enough away to see they were cows but could not perceive any real movement. "Oh, hmmm. I think I know where this is headed, Lord," I muttered aloud. Were I to have a different vantage point, perspective if you will, I would be able to see the swishing of tails, the chewing of cud, and the stamping of hooves. It's not that the cows were not moving, I just didn't have the correct point of view.
Then came the real kicker.
"How are you so different than Ethan?"
Ouch. I had been trying to gain control over things I will never be able to grasp! I was pestering God! Why? What? What? What? Why? Why? Why? Is it time, yet? Now? How 'bout, now? Now? I felt even worse for being frustrated at my son for doing exactly what I had done to my Heavenly Father!! God was asking for my trust—just like I ask Ethan to trust me.
Luke 12:25 states, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?"
Jesus talks about worry in his Sermon on the Mount. I have read the passage numerous times—I guess it is time to apply it (get it, eh? time...the blog's theme is...time...yeah...).
So true! We as humans are so obsessed with time. While we were in Europe, I would look at the clock--it read 8:00 p.m. The table was set for dinner, but no one (except Dad and me) was in any hurry to sit down. 8:30, 9:00 soon enough for dinner. In God's eternity what is a moment, a day, or even a lifetime? All is in His time. Loved your thoughts on perspective.
ReplyDeleteOne of our clients is a senior but mentally is 4or5. He, too, is obsessed with time and his watch. He shows it ti everyone who walks by and wants to always make sure it has the exact same time as the clock on the wall. The interesting and thought provoking thing is that he usually wears it upside-down and does not understand how to read the watch beyond it matching the one on the wall. Your blog gave me pause to think of parallels with my client. We get caught up sometimes with making sure something is right and matches spiritually in appearance without learning how to truly function as God created us.
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