TIME KEEPS MOVING

When I was a young child, I recall my mother saying these words: “Time waits for no one.” I didn’t pay these words much attention at the time, because I did not know what she meant. A few years passed, and I grasped the meaning. Time Keeps Moving! It doesn’t matter what we put off, put aside, or ignore. Time waits for no one! Often, we think of time at the beginning of a new year. I know I do. I find myself less focused on what lies ahead and more aware of what has brought me this far. Changing seasons, growing grandchildren, and lives unfolding—still becoming. These are moments of quiet grace, and I know God’s grace keeps meeting us exactly where we are. I think of how grateful I am to be here. 

January has a way of inviting reflection—something not easy to ignore. The rush to declare resolutions feels less important than the simple act of noticing—noticing who is still beside us. Noticing what remains after a year of joy, challenge, loss, and unexpected blessings. If we pay close attention, we will not see perfection, but presence. Time has shaped each of us in different ways. It has softened some edges and strengthened others. Time has taught lessons we did not ask for and offered grace we could not have earned. Let us not forget mercy. There were moments this past year when the future felt uncertain, when faith required more trust than answers. Still, grace and mercy met us exactly where we were and whispered—"Take one day at a time.” Some have not been that fortunate to know grace and mercy when it is given or how to hold on to faith and hope. I keep an index card on my desk of words I captured some time ago in my daily reading. I am reminded daily of these words. It reads:

GRACE—When God gives us the good thing we don’t deserve.

MERCY—When God spares us from the not so good things.

BLESSINGS—When God is generous with both—grace and mercy.

As we step into a new year, I am choosing intention over resolution. I am choosing to continue to move forward with gratitude for what was, hope for what will be, and trust in God who walks with us through every season. My hope for this year is that we remain open to becoming, anchored in love, and mindful of the gifts already in our hands and hearts. Let us carry grace into the days ahead not only for ourselves, for each other, and for all that is still to come. Remember, time keeps moving, but love has a way of standing still.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!