Daylight Saving

Sunday 8:00 a.m. It was early, but I headed for the church. I was scheduled to do the power-point presentation of my husband's sermon and I also had to prepare for my Junior High Sunday School Class. I thought I had lots of time.

Stopping by Tim's for a coffee, I pulled into the drive-through behind a small red car belonging to our associate pastor. I wondered why they were heading to the church so early. When we arrived I noticed there were already a few cars in the parking lot. I thought there must be some kind of meeting happening.

8:15 a.m. As Pastor Jeff got out of his vehicle he said ? "I wonder how many people forgot to set their clocks?" Daylight Saving Time! I'd forgotten all about it. I glanced at my watch.

Now 9:15 a.m. I grabbed the bundle of things I needed for the Sunday School class and dashed for the door.

10:00 a.m. I managed to get the power-point done just as the kids in my class started to arrive. It wasn't until then that the feeling of panic started to subside.

1:00 p.m. As we laughed about forgetting to turn the clocks ahead, I thought how fortunate it was that, though it would have been embarrassing if I hadn't been able to do what needed to be done, it was not a life and death situation. It would not have been the end of the world if the power-point wasn't done. Life would have gone on as normal, with the exception of my face turning red at the inevitable teasing.

And two words tumbled through my brain ? blissfully ignorant. As I waved to Pastor Jeff at Tim Horton's that morning I was blissfully ignorant of the fact that time had somehow slipped away on me.

In a way, we are all blissfully ignorant. We are all traveling on a steady course toward our own deaths, and for some of us, it's later than we think. Time has already slipped away. Some of us will die today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after. We have no way of knowing when or how, but we can be certain it will come. And it will be a life or death situation - eternal life with God, or eternal death without Him.

Those words might give some a feeling of panic. Some of us aren't ready. But those words will give some a feeling of peace. All that has to be done ? the only issue of life and death significance - has been dealt with, so there is no fear of that moment. When you know you will be safely in the arms of Jesus at the moment of death, there is no reason for panic.

So we echo the word of the Apostle Paul ? "we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain ? now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:1,2).

Marcia Laycock is a pastor's wife and freelance writer living in Alberta Canada. Her devotional book, The Spur of the Moment has been endorsed by Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and others. To order, and to view more of Marcia's writing, see her web site - www.vinemarc.com
Copyright Marcia Lee Laycock, 2000, 2001,2002,2003,2004,2005