I am a timekeeping fanatic. This has a few different meanings. Even as a pre-teen I got anxious over the passing of time. It got so bad once that, on a fun outing with a friend when I was eleven or twelve, I became almost panic-stricken at how much time had elapsed since we left my house, my comfort zone. After a couple of hours being out, I couldn’t enjoy myself anymore. Punctuality has been ingrained in me from the get-go. Twenty years in the Navy reinforced it. I always want to know what time it is, even on vacation. I am wired for three meals or eating times a day. Dates in history fascinate me. I am not as strictly obsessed as I used to be. I do factor in some wiggle room and flexibility. I am also a good timekeeper when it comes to music. Perhaps because my dad was a drummer, I got some of his rhythmic DNA. All this randomly sums up my quirkiness, my eccentricities where timekeeping is concerned. Confession is so freeing!

It can be a blessing or a curse to know that God cares little, if at all, about our time concerns. We want an end to misery and suffering, holding fast to our faith that has taught us that Christ will come again to wipe all the badness out. We want that serenity: NOW! We want relief ASAP. Give me that pill. “Calgon, take me away”! When we think we can’t wait any longer, God shows up. Resolution. Release. Inner peace. God acts precisely on schedule, and it is beyond our comprehension. Only with trust are we able to let go of our timekeeping mania. He never forces His way into our lives, yet He sure knows how to have us exactly where and when we are meant to be. We still have to actively cooperate, but never in an anxious, worrisome way. Unexpected delays become happy little unseen miracles of His providence. I think that when we open ourselves up to excursions from our comfort zone, we are freer to exist in God’s moment. For me, the timekeeping pendulum has swung in the other direction. Yes, I still get a little restless when outings go longer than I expect. Yes, time flies when I’m having fun. But I don’t hold myself down to strict schedule. I am far less likely to be “at work”, i.e. my pastor job, from 8:00-4:00 as I am to maybe drag in late and stay late or arrive quite early and get out early. No effort or obsession on my part will change God’s intended, purposeful outcome. For His glory, good pleasure, and because he unconditionally loves us.

Pastor Art