the brink

All We Love Is All We’ll Take

Staying home has caused us to revisit many aspects of our lives. We have had the opportunity see our habits and priorities with fresh eyes, as well as our relationships with people, food, our work, the earth, and time. I have noticed many of my recent conversations with friends have touched on how strange time has been through this quarantine. Days blend with days. The possibility of boredom flutters around every moment. We feel like we may be doing less than we are used to; yet, each day ends up full and we find ourselves going to bed to start the cycle again.

As I reflect on the passage of time, particularly over these past few months, I am reminded that part of the issue was my misunderstanding. I forgot that I do not own time. How I use time does not prove its worth. Instead, time is a tide in which I live. I am swept up in time and all I truly need is with me at any given moment.

Every day is a god, each day is a god, and holiness holds forth in time.

As the wisdom of Ecclesiastes reminds us, God is not bound by time. God is creator and designer of time. God is in, with, under, and through all of time. God’s gifts – forgiveness, love, reconciliation, renewal – are not bound by time. When we let go of our hold on time, we are open to receive these gifts freely.

Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?

There is a time for everything and time continues to flow. We never know how much time we have in this life. Pandemics are striking reminders of this, as are the deaths of friends and loved ones. There never seems to be a good time for death and grief. Yet, it is part of the order of time. Solace comes in letting God be God, remembering that God is in every moment, holding us in and through every moment. All of time is made complete in the love of God.

The more we let go of our hold on time, the more we can live each moment as holy as it is. Transformation becomes possible with every breath. New vision can shape perspective with every turn of the head. We stand on the brink of new life every single day. We remember that all that we have is from our good and gracious God, and the greatest of all that we have is love. Finally, despite all of the unknowns, we can live the truth that, “all we love is all we’ll take.”

Let the following song by Carrie Newcomer be your closing prayer. As you listen, what words rise as your prayer for the day? What feelings emerge? Who do you think of? Give it all to God and know that you are wrapped in God’s arms of love with every moment today.

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