Time flies (or does it?) - July 25
Today’s Readings AM Psalm 55; PM Psalm 138, 139:1-17(18-23); Joshua 23:1-16; Rom. 15:25-33; Matt. 27:11-23
I saw The Music Man on public television when I was a child. Robert Preston and Shirley Jones and young Ronnie Howard. I loved it. My mom recorded the movie on our VCR, and my sisters and I watched that VHS tape ad nauseam. In the scene where the ladies of River City are preparing for their performance of Grecian Urns at the outdoor festival, the mayor’s wife prods their practice along proclaiming, “Tempus fugit, ladies, tempus fugit!”
Upon opening the Bible to the excerpt from Joshua appointed for this morning, I feel like I’ve stepped into a time warp. Joshua is now “old and well advanced in years.” How did the time fly so quickly? Just yesterday we read an action-packed account of God protecting Joshua, the Israelites, and Gibeonites from the five kings of the Amorites by inciting mayhem and hurling “huge stones from heaven” (hailstones) at those enemies. Through praying to God, Joshua stops the sun in the sky for a day. Big stuff! And today, it begins, “A long time afterward…” What did we miss in the middle? I’ll tell you. Conquests. Allotment of tribes across the lands of the Jordan River. A survey of peoples and boundaries. Lots of names.
What I love about getting to fast-forward to where Joshua is near the end of his life, is that we’re given the gift of his wisdom and experience, as he surveys all he has done. Hold fast to the Lord your God, he says. Observe the laws of Moses. God is faithful to the promises made to God’s people. Be very careful to love the Lord your God, and do not stray toward serving other gods, unless you want to see a flash of divine anger from the Lord.
There are times during this summer that I wish I could command time to go faster. Where is the fast-forward button? I want to be past this time of physical separation from extended family and dear friends. I want to gather together for an outdoor festival or indoor worship service, free from fear, conflict, and plague. And time doesn’t work like that. Together, we get to do the hard work of living out our faith. Exile did not end immediately. And this time of trial and toil is similar.
Let us draw near to God in prayer, and cast our burdens upon the Lord. Let us offer support and encouragement to one another. Let us listen to a diversity of voices. Let us speak and act from a position of God’s love, for that is the gift given to us.
We will get to a place where our story will be told, and it will open, “A long time afterward…” We will have learned a lot. We will have regrets and successes. The Lord our God will still be with us.
Time flies, and waiting is the hardest part.
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
What part of the here-and-now do you want to slow down?
What do you want to hurry up and move past?
Daily Challenge
Take a moment today to slow down. Appreciate where you are right now. Name five blessings that surround you, and give thanks to God.