And the beat goes on....

It's Riley again (that's my gift to you today - a 'head's up' so you can save time by not reading what follows!).

Every few months I find myself asking 'Is time a blessing or a curse?'  I didn't come up with the question, but I think it's an important one.

In the midst of saying goodbye to a dearly loved church, wrapping up the kids' school year, waiting for our house to sell, worrying about our unmet son/daughter (no great news to share about the program fully functional yet), Candra applying for jobs, looking for daycare in a new city, moving out of our rental soon with nowhere to move to, etc..... it's too easy for time to seem like a curse.  Too often we are worrying that we don't have enough time or that it's moving on too rapidly for what we think should get accomplished.

But maybe each tick of the clock could remind us that there are seasons & rhythms & progress & cadence arranged by God even when we just want to shut down, complain or zone out.  Maybe it's a reminder that everything has a place for redemption - even the moments we fail in or want to forget or just escape.

Time is a gift. Even in some of Jesus's first words to his disciples he said 'The time has come...'

I find myself often being aware of what time it is in #5's country and praying for what they might be doing.  It's the weird kind of thing that you don't think about unless you have been in (or thru) an adoption process.  I'm trying to remind myself that every minute we wait for our next child or our house to sell or _______ is not another waste but another minute closer to seeing a slightly better glimpse of God's unfolding plan.  And I've been learning how time is even a tool in the hand of Almighty God to shape us, prepare us, and draw us closer to the best (not easiest) things of life.  In His hands he uses time to heal, soften, arranges pieces in new ways, and deliver.

Time is a gift.
Unless you forget sunscreen while working on a ladder on a day that felt like +37.... That was me today installing cedar shakes on our build.  Having time to work was a gift - sunburn was not!
R