Time

An older brother from our congregation was admitted to hospital. After various investigations, his condition was deemed serious, and he was transferred to hospice care. Everyone knows what that means. I set out to visit him. En route, I prepared myself for the meeting. Softly, I knocked on the door. He asked me to come in. Our eyes met. Before I could say a word, he spoke in a quiet but determined voice: “My time has come.” I sensed no resentment. On the contrary, he spoke of his joyful anticipation of seeing Jesus soon.

Time—what a mysterious, yet fascinating word it is. The more one reflects on it, the more intensely the topic occupies our mind. Time is a constant companion and yet each person experiences it differently. For a young person, time seems almost limitless, filled with possibilities, plans, and dreams. For them, time is synonymous with hope and the future. For an older person, however, time holds a greater significance – it becomes more precious, more intentional, and is often taken more seriously. One recalls the past and is reminded to get affairs in order, and to let go, yes, to focus on what truly matters.

The Bible also addresses the topic of time and ascribes a deep spiritual meaning to it. My Bible lies open on my desk. Solomon begins his discourse on time with the well-known words: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1–2).

With these words, he stretches a wide arc over our lifespan. In the subsequent verses, he describes the different phases and experiences a person goes through—times of building up and tearing down, of laughing and weeping, of seeking and releasing. Solomon reminds us that our life is not about coincidences, but of times determined by God, which come and go, often independent of our own will.

We understand Solomon’s train of thought and can follow it well. This is only possible because we have lived through these seasons of life. They are not foreign or theoretical to us but hit home— through our own experiences, in our joys and losses, in the peaks and valleys of our lives. Precisely because we have experienced these times firsthand, Solomon’s words resonate with us and we identify.

Perhaps your life is running through your mind like a movie right now. How much have we witnessed, experienced, and learned throughout our lives. Looking back, we see paths we would never have planned and moments when God quietly and faithfully guided us. With gratitude, we fold our hands and give God all the glory for His Hand that protected and guided us.

Solomon’s reflections also capture the thought that we must clearly recognize and accept our season of life in order to live in the present. We cannot halt the hands of time. Yet we repeatedly encounter people who struggle with their stage of life, who refuse to accept or even deny the process of aging. In doing so, they make life unnecessarily difficult for themselves—and often for others as well. Wisdom is shown in recognizing one’s lifespan as given by God and living life intentionally trusting Him. Acknowledging that God determines our lifetime, and fully trusting in Him, demonstrates wisdom.

In no way is this acceptance an easy matter. After all – who really wants to admit that they are old or are getting older? Sometimes it is hard for us to acknowledge the reality of aging, and yet it is part of life. Who is happy about wearing a hearing aid, using a cane, or even depending on a walker? All these are signs of aging that we find difficult to accept – and yet they are par for the course of life, which we cannot stop. “To everything there is a season” – that’s how it is.

We can fight it or accept the advice of children and others close to us. After all, they mean well and want to support us lovingly – and make life easier for us. When we concede and use hearing aids, we can once again actively participate in conversations. The cane makes walking easier, and the walker helps us keep our balance and provides an opportunity to rest when our feet won’t keep up. In this way, despite its challenges, life becomes easier and safer.

“To everything there is a season… a time to be born, and a time to die.” Our entire life unfolds between these two bookends, just as Solomon describes in the subsequent verses. And one day, we too will reach the moment when we can say: “My time has come.” But we are not helplessly at the mercy of fate. Rather, we can confidently say with David: “My times are in Your hands” (Psalm 31:15). God’s eyes watch over us, His hand holds us fast – until the moment comes when He calls us home. This, too, happens at His appointed time.

For now, we are still here – and we gratefully accept the gift of time from God’s hand. We want to use it well and redeem our remaining time, as we read in Ephesians 5:16. As long as we live, we want to be a blessing to others, to support the kingdom of God through our gifts and prayers, and to bring light into the world. We want to leave footprints that testify of love and faithfulness.

I have long forgotten who it was, but someone once told me: “As long as we are here, the Lord is with us. And when we are gone, we are with the Lord.” This makes it clear: we are always connected with Him – every single moment, whether here on earth or with Him in heaven.

Harry Semenjuk
Wetaskiwin, AB