It's Time
When you can't do all the things
One of the more frequent phrases I hear myself saying to the boys is, “it’s time...”
It’s time to get dressed, it’s time to get in the car, it’s time for a snack, time for a walk, time for a bath, time to go to bed.
Sometimes, we’re paying attention to actual clock time— it’s 8am so it’s time to drive to school. But often, we’re observing signs and signals— asking, what do you need right now, my sons? What is it time for?
It seems that one of the best things I can do as their mom is to know what time it is and to live in it. To keep their time. To care for their time. To order our days around what their particular age and stage and needs call for.
Similarly, one of the more frequent questions I find myself asking God is, “What time is it?”
I don’t mean chronos time, as in hours and minutes. I mean kairos time, as in the purpose of this current season of my life.
I’m essentially asking (perhaps you are too?):
“What is it time for, here and now?”
”What is mine to do?”
”How do I honor and invest my time?”
“What are You inviting me into?”
These are questions of stewardship, of vocation, of living faithfully within our unique set of limitations and longings. We’re trusting God to guide us as we hold the tension between all that we cannot do and all that we desire to do.
If, like me, you’re asking for deeper wisdom to discern your current season so you can “dress accordingly,” then today’s Poem+Practice+Prayer is for you. Read on.
A TIME
by Sarah Bourns Crosby
When you can’t do all the things
And you want to do the right thing
May you simply choose the next thing
And remember there is a time for everything
(Just maybe not all at the same time).
—
There is a time to work and a time to cease
A time to plant and a time to reap
A time to be emptied and a time to be filled
A time to be humbled and a time to be healed
A time for gratitude and a time for grief
A time to stay and a time to leave
A time to push through and a time to pull back
A time for plenty and a time for lack
A time to give and a time to receive
A time to question and a time to believe
A time to gather and a time to be alone
A time to wander
And a time to
come
home.
Inspired by Ecclesiastes 3
A PRACTICE
Telling Time
My dear old mentor Martin had a way of looking you in the eyes and, kindly but firmly, saying “It’s time…” And somehow you knew exactly what he meant. And somehow he was always exactly right:
It’s time to start that…
It’s time to end this…
It’s time to make that call…
It’s time to take that risk…
So, how would you end that sentence? If you were to see Jesus, in all His tenderness and boldness, looking you in the eyes and saying, “My friend, it’s time…” what comes to your mind? What is it time for?
If you need a little more room to explore this invitation, here are some prompts and questions to help you pay attention to your current season.
1. Have you noticed any themes or pictures, any ideas or phrases that seem to keep showing up? (perhaps a word stands out from the poem above?)
2. When was the last time you sensed a nudge or guidance from the Holy Spirit?
3. How would those closest to you describe your current phase of life or your unique calling, here and now?
4. If you were to imagine seeing Jesus in the distance beckoning you toward Him and saying "Come over here! I've got something new for you!" what might He be pointing you toward?
Take some time to ask God what His tailor-made invitation is for you in this season. And how will you dress accordingly?
“Father, it’s time.” ~Jesus
John 17:1, The Message
A PRAYER
For wisdom
So Lord,
What time is it?
Yes,
What is it time for
Today?
Is it a season for change?
Or a time to remain?
Am I planting or reaping?
Going or staying?
Resting or working?
Moving or waiting?
Either way...
I'll trust...
Whether it's full and exciting
Or simply mundane
I'll have all that I need
For each
Wild and
Precious
Day.*
*Inspired by Mary Oliver's famous question, "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
P.S.
Watch our January Prayer & Practice session for some extra space and prompts to dialogue with God about your life together (and ask how GOD experiences a mutual relationship with you!) I hope you’ll listen in—the first 20 minutes includes more of my own journey in attachment with God and the last 20 minutes is a guided conversation with a dozen or more questions for you and the Lord to gently discuss.
And, if you’re not already part of our free virtual Prayer & Practice community, now is a great time to join as we’ll be doing a deep dive into “Rhythms of Life” for the coming months: rest and work, stillness and action, solitude and friendship, and more!
Lastly, a few pics from our pre-Christmas trip to NYC. It was the best of times and the… not best of times… ;)
I love the simplicity of “choose the next thing.” There’s such freedom in that. Not all the things. Not forever. Just the next faithful step. The image of Jesus looking at us and saying, “It’s time…” feels both tender and bracing. And that closing line — a time to wander / and a time to come home — feels especially true in this season. I’ve been writing lately about time as something we inhabit rather than manage, about surrendering the pressure to do everything at once and learning to live inside the moment given. If you’d ever want to continue that conversation, I’ve been exploring it here: https://theeternalnowmm.substack.com/p/the-surrender?r=71z4jh
Beautiful! May God continue to walk us through the kairos moments in life, and cause us to become aware of them.