The Gift of Broken Time…
A few weeks ago I was at a Day of Prayer for Pastoral Associates and we were asked to bring a symbol of what gifts we bring to ministry. We all brought many symbols including Bibles, icons, prayers, technology, listening ears, etc. The person sitting next to me brought a broken pocket watch and called it “the gift of broken time”. She explained that we spend too much of our lives speeding through life and not taking the time to be with one another and give someone our full attention. (How often do look at your watch, thinking you need to move on when talking with someone?) She believed that if we could stop time, or at least not pay attention to the clock, we could all serve and love one another better… after all Christ did not have a wristwatch!
I thought about this for awhile and thought what a nice gift… the gift of broken time. Shortly thereafter the clock in my car died. I decided to let it go for a bit. It drove me crazy! How often did I glance at the empty clockface! I had not realized how much the clock ruled my life! And then God decided I still wasn’t paying attention,,, my wristwatch band broke and fell off, and all my other watches had dead batteries! God was giving me the gift of broken time.
For the next few weeks I took up God’s challenge and tried to use His gift of broken time. I decided to go watchless for awhile and tried to be less conscious of “what time it was”. It was a challenge at first, but then I found myself suddenly free. I didn’t care to know how much time I was using for this, that or the other. I was able to give people more of my time, time doing tedious chores became less annoying and I found myself more joyful and full of life. Broken time is truly a gift from God.
This week try going watchless and perhaps cover up or unplug your clocks, especially where two or three are gathered. See what happens when you are free from the tick-tick-tick of time. Use the gift of broken time joyfully with your family, friends and our risen Lord.
God Bless, Holly Clark
A few weeks ago I was at a Day of Prayer for Pastoral Associates and we were asked to bring a symbol of what gifts we bring to ministry. We all brought many symbols including Bibles, icons, prayers, technology, listening ears, etc. The person sitting next to me brought a broken pocket watch and called it “the gift of broken time”. She explained that we spend too much of our lives speeding through life and not taking the time to be with one another and give someone our full attention. (How often do look at your watch, thinking you need to move on when talking with someone?) She believed that if we could stop time, or at least not pay attention to the clock, we could all serve and love one another better… after all Christ did not have a wristwatch!
I thought about this for awhile and thought what a nice gift… the gift of broken time. Shortly thereafter the clock in my car died. I decided to let it go for a bit. It drove me crazy! How often did I glance at the empty clockface! I had not realized how much the clock ruled my life! And then God decided I still wasn’t paying attention,,, my wristwatch band broke and fell off, and all my other watches had dead batteries! God was giving me the gift of broken time.
For the next few weeks I took up God’s challenge and tried to use His gift of broken time. I decided to go watchless for awhile and tried to be less conscious of “what time it was”. It was a challenge at first, but then I found myself suddenly free. I didn’t care to know how much time I was using for this, that or the other. I was able to give people more of my time, time doing tedious chores became less annoying and I found myself more joyful and full of life. Broken time is truly a gift from God.
This week try going watchless and perhaps cover up or unplug your clocks, especially where two or three are gathered. See what happens when you are free from the tick-tick-tick of time. Use the gift of broken time joyfully with your family, friends and our risen Lord.
God Bless, Holly Clark
Inspirational!
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