Board
games often include a miniature replica of an hourglass. It is used to time a
player’s turn. The timer is set in the middle of the table and everyone watches
the sand slowly trickle through the narrow opening. If it’s my turn, and the
sand is running out, my heart races and I become noticeably agitated, because
once it has all sifted through to the bottom half, I know that ‘time’s up’.
I use this imagery
of an hourglass, not to create anxiety or stress, but to draw your attention to
the natural laws of God’s timing in our lives and reinforce the idea that there
are no surprises—we can expect change.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV) says:
There is a time
for everything,
and a season for
every activity under the heavens:a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant
and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and
a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build
a time to weep and
a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them
a time to embrace
and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and
a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be
silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
Can you identify with many of these positive and
negative changes?
The author of Ecclesiastes was Solomon, King of Israel. He
had an important job and big shoes to fill; his father was King David. He
asked for the following from God:
“ So
give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish
between right and wrong.” 1 Kings 3:9 a (NIV)
What happened to Solomon when he prayed for help from God? Read
1 Kings 3: 10 -14
How has God helped you in your vocation?
As Christians we have an amazing advantage. God expects and will
be pleased (as he was with Solomon) when we ask for wisdom and guidance in all
areas of our lives.
An authentic hour glass is a fragile and a precise time piece. Our
life is also a fragile and a unique creation.
Here’s what Psalm 139.16b (NIV) says about our time on
earth, “all the days ordained for me were written in your
book before one of them came to be..”
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6 comments:
A fine post, Carol. Thank you. The older I get and the slower I become in accomplishing tasks that used to take me half the time, I become more conscious of the sand slipping through the 'hourglass' of life. Psalm 139 comes to my mind frequently about our days being numbered. How important it is for us to make the most of [or 'redeem'] the time given us in every positive way (as in Ephesians 5:16). ~~+~~
What Peter said!
I totally agree when you comment on how fragile our life is (we really should handle it more carefully), and so true about asking for wisdom and guidance. Fumbling along on our own steam doesn't really cut it!
Life with the Lord is so much more rewarding - no matter what the hourglass says!
Great thoughts, Carol!
Very true, Carol. I am so conscious of how much sand of my life is in the bottom, so I want to make each grain still to pass through, count. Thanks for your thoughts.
Thank you for these comments. I'm so glad that they were useful.
I spoke last week at our church women's group about creativity and using our talents. I closed with one of my favourite YouTube clips: Susan Boyle's initial audition on Britain's Got Talent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk.
When the video ended my audience clapped along with the video audience;this surprised me. I said, "God's Got Talent and our platform or stage is to share our gifts with others."
I like that passage about time that you quoted and use it too. I was conscious of it when my Dad was in hospice, but also when we've had good things to celebrate such as getting our grandchildren together for a photo session. That's when I realize how much sand has already gone through my hour glass.
And I so appreciate Susan Boyle's courage to get out there and audition. Love her voice too.
Thanks, Carolyn. Here is a documentary about Susan Boyle that I found very interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99vN7pB8zco
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