In high school, I watched the clock which sat high upon the wall at the front of the classroom.  During the last class period of the day, I  was especially attentive to its movements.  When the  fastest(and therefore, clearly, the wisest) hand made its last lap around and consequently, the minute hand jerked and settled over the 9, Father Time's daily miracle was complete.  It was 1:45 pm.  The school bell burst forth, its loud ring declaring my freedom and giving my formless and empty mind shape and purpose. We students streamed from those classrooms, the clocks fading away behind us, and upon breaking through the last door, there was light and it was good.

During the sermons these past two months we have been looking at the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians.  One thing that stands out to me is the apostle's call to rejoice.  Christians are to be joyful people.  The Philippians are urged to see that being joyful is not only a future hope, but to be a present personal experience.  And so Paul exhorts them:  "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!"   (Philippians 4:4)

It took time, but the Lord eventually showed me (and still has to remind me now and then) that joy is not dependent upon the position of the clock's hands.  We can spend our whole lives looking at the clock and calendar, putting our hope in the power of the school bell and its equivalents, but for those who are in Christ, no amount of time is to be wished away.  It is not an accident that we are where we are.  With this in mind, it might serve many (or all) of us to remember that old Sunday School song:  "This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.  This is the day, this is the day, that the Lord has made."  Today is the day.  The Lord is powerful and good.  Let us rejoice.

Yours, Brooks