Elvenia Gray-Sandiford
I opened my front door a few days ago, and the green-brown colour of the hills in Ashcroft caught my attention. Less than two weeks ago, they were all white, and in a few weeks they should be lush green.
Truly, timing is everything. Normally, when good things happen, we call it luck and say we are in the right place at the right time. But do we think about time itself and how it changes everything?
Change and transformation naturally happens over time. The seasons of life are as temporary as the wind that blows up a storm. All storms are temporary, which means they will pass. Good things do not last forever; dreadful things do not last forever. It all passes eventually. In the same way, we naturally adapt and transition between the four seasons. These periods of life help to shape our character and strengthen our faith. Time changes everything and — more so — changes us.
Nothing on this Earth lasts forever. According to the wise man Solomon, to everything under the sun there is a season: birth, life, and death; changes in plants, the animals, and the weather. We are constantly changing as we move through life. The seasons of life are there to teach us lessons about ourselves and others, and about life. Time allows us to progress through each season. We observe changes around us in our physical bodies, in the growth of our children, our family and friends, and our community. Even the day must end for night to come.
Fifty years ago there were people who did remarkable things. Today, many of them are not remembered. The cars that were driven then, cannot compare to the cars that are being driven now. Time gives us an awareness of the future in this microwave, digital, nowness culture. Everything is immediate, on demand, and we want it all instantly. Over the last few years, we have been sold on the power of now, forgetting that the future is influenced by what is happening now. Time changes everything.
The changes brought by time may be slow and ongoing, or swift, coming without warning. They might even be unnoticeable, and take us by surprise. Sometimes, that is because change is not visible, or we are not paying attention.
The changes in time can be welcome, or we may find them challenging. There will inevitably be moments when the consequences of our thoughts, decisions, and actions will naturally move us into another phase of life. We can do our best to adapt successfully, try not to resist change, and hope to move through difficult and unpleasant phases quickly. This may lead to joy and gladness, or pain and suffering. However, these too are only temporary.
Time gives us space to grow emotionally, physically, and socially in the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Time teaches us how to wait and be of good courage, how to increase our faith, restore our hope in tomorrow, renew our strength, and build emotional resilience in the face of adversity and opportunity. Let us take all the time necessary to care for ourselves and each other. Time changes everything.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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