Time

Time

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years.

-Genesis 1:14 NIV

 

This is the time of year that summons us outdoors. There are gardens to plow, seeds to sow, flowers to mulch and lawns to mow. There have even been a few days nice enough to walk the beach without a coat. The sound of children riding bicycles, dogs barking and the smell of the first cookout of the season will soon be in the air. We are coming up on a busy season and time runs short occasionally.  The recent time change from Eastern to Daylight Savings Time has thrown me off balance a bit. But in a few more days, all will be well only to have to adapt again in the fall when our clocks go back an hour.  Time is a precious commodity. It has been measured by shadows, sundials, hourglasses and ticking clocks. Some days we often lament that we don’t have enough time in each day and other days, particularly when we are looking forward to an event, the time seems to inch by slowly. We caution children not to “rush” time. We follow by saying that when they are older, time will seem to rush by at lightening speed when they will wish it could slow down. Most of us have an order to our day. We mark time by our chores, responsibilities and to–do lists. Some days we wake up in the morning and we “hit the floor running” and other times it is a chore to get our “motors started”. We are all unique and different, but what we all have in common is we each only have 24 hours a day…no more, no less. God says to make Him first. Plain and Simple. In my own experience, if I don’t sit down and fellowship with Him first thing with my cup of coffee, the day gets away from me. The phone rings, there is a knock at the door, errands have to be run and family things need tending to. I always run out of energy early, not able to complete my chores and end the day feeling unaccomplished. On the other hand, when I do make Him my priority, I receive a Peace that follows me into the night. We never know what each day will bring, but one thing is for sure.  I would much rather pray for Godly Protection for me and my family first thing in the morning, than at the end of the day! God gives us the freedom to have free will. Are we willing to make time for God each day?

Sand Fence

 

I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people.

–Romans 16:17-18

 

Sand fences have been enormously helpful in dividing land and building up dunes. The rickety weathered pickets held together with thin wire comes in large rolls to be stretched out and stuck in the sand. Sand fences don’t look particularly sturdy, but do a wonderful job nonetheless. I’ve captured many photographs of these fences at the beach. Not only are the fences effective, but they add texture to the scenery and provide many perches for birds. When storms come and cause the sea to rise, often the fences lose their footing and get washed out, littering the beach with broken pickets. Once gathered, these scraps of weathered wood make nice kindling to start a fire on chilly winter days.

 

Fences and boundaries surround us, whether real or imagined. It is important to have them for needed protection, whether we are inside or outside the fence. It can be comforting at times being inside the fence, corralled with everyone else in thought and deed. But God teaches that some situations and even some people are not good for us. Remember being told as a child, “don’t follow the crowd”? Our parents meant for us not to succumb to peer pressure. We can get caught up in taking sides on issues, causing great and long lasting divisions and strife. There is never a good time to harbor and nurture these emotional rifts. Stepping away from conflict has great merit.  It is up to God to help us discern what side of the fence to be on when we are given a choice. He desires for us to seek Him in prayerful guidance.