Reflections for 4/9/11

"We break fast together, break bread together fast with the clock on the wall over my wife's head tick-tocking our time away, time away. Soon it will be time to leave for school. Soon enough it will be time to leave."(F. Buechner "Listening to Your Life" p. 94)

Today was the start of Little League in Wenonah, the town that I live in.  It is a small town, so we have a parade and all the boys and girls march in their uniforms. I gave a blessing at the request of the "Commissioner."  I seem to be the fallback clergy in town.  I've been doing it for years.  The day was sort of bittersweet in that neither of my sons walked in the parade, because neither is in Little League anymore. Time had moved on for us.

Sometimes I sense that time drags, either by day or week or years.  Other times it seems to fly by. Sometimes I half jokingly speak of retiring in 13 years. And folks will tell me not to wish my life away like that.  I also know that in three years life will be very different for me and I'll have choices to make.

What I have noticed about time, is that when I'm have fun, it flies. When I'm bored it drags.  Good thing I have fun most of the time.

I close with this hymn about time by Isaac Watts:

1 O God, our help in ages past,

our hope for years to come,

our shelter from the stormy blast,

and our eternal home:





2 Under the shadow of thy throne,

thy saints have dwelt secure;

sufficient is thine arm alone,

and our defense is sure.





3 Before the hills in order stood,

or earth received her frame,

from everlasting thou art God,

to endless years the same.





4 A thousand ages in thy sight

are like an evening gone;

short as the watch that ends the night

before the rising sun.





5 Time, like an ever-rolling stream,

bears all our years away;

they fly, forgotten, as a dream

dies at the opening day.





6 O God, our help in ages past,

our hope for years to come,

be thou our guide while troubles last,

and our eternal home.

Blessings,
Ed