Two events in the past week hit me in a profound way. The first was the opening of a circular from a superannuation company. It took a while for what I was reading to sink in, but the information was stark: “Projected Retirement Date: March 2014”. When I realised that this was only 13 years away, my initial response was ‘you’ve got to be joking!’ Retirement is one of the furthest thoughts from my mind. The proximity suggested in the letter both confronted and astounded me.
The second momentous event was the celebration of our 18th wedding anniversary. It does not seem so long ago that Ev and I shared our vows before family and friends. Now we’ve been married as long as it takes for one to get a drivers licence! (We’re not sure whether this means we have finally got our ‘P’ plates as a married couple!)
The coincidence of these two events focussed my mind on the passing of time. Whilst some days can seem to take an eternity to pass, the years seem to be rolling on silently, but with increasing speed. The passage of time sometimes seems like a canoe being carried down the river by the pace of the water, the occupants oblivious to subtle changes in tempo. While enjoying the relative silence and stillness of the journey, so much passes by.
Moments like these cause people to reflect on the nature of time. Their reflections can be revealing!
Echoing through the scripture is the call to now: “Now is the time of salvation!” The call to live in obedience to God in the present recurs to us. For it is only as we take the opportunities presented in the now that the future begins to open up for us – God’s future.
Gary
May 6, 2001
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