Time does not wait on our permission. It marches on at its own pace regardless of our circumstances – whether we want it to speed up or to slow down. This can seem cruel, but it’s also very gracious.
There are moments in which we want time to stop – to give our souls a chance to catch up and soak everything in.
Perhaps we had a favorite day we wished would never end. Or we want to hold on a bit longer to the season of childhood with our kids. And even the sudden death of a loved one can leave us in shock and not yet ready to move on.
But time moves on all the same.
And in the moment, this indifference seems cruel. It’s not fair time keeps moving when we’re faced with such major events of life.
But there is also grace here.
The constant marching of time keeps us from getting stuck in the past, whether good or bad.
Time moves on whether it was the best day or the worst day of our life.
And even when we want things to speed up, time will not allow us to rush ahead.
Like the kid ready for his adult body – it happens when it does. There’s no rushing the process.
Again, this may seem cruel when time takes much longer than we desire, but even here there is grace.
Each season has its place and we shortchange our journey when we try to skip ahead.
The uninterrupted pace of time keeps us on track.
The gift of memory allows us to reflect on what has passed when time moves on before we’re ready. And our faithfulness reminds us not to miss today living for tomorrow.
Time marches on. And this is good.
Photo by Wil Stewart on Unsplash
