Spring Forward, Fall Back
Do you know what happens this Sunday March 14? Yes, Daylight Saving Time is just around the corner. By setting our clocks an hour forward, we “lose” an hour and disrupt our daily routines. By NOT setting our clocks, we risk being an hour late for everything. In a few days, our bodies and brains will adjust to the time change, and we will appreciate having an extra hour of daylight in the cool of the summer evenings.
It is a good thing to be this acutely aware of clock time every Spring and Fall. Time is a gift. Like many gifts, we tend to take time for granted.
March, 2020 was about the time we were getting very concerned about COVID-19, and our schedules were drastically changed. We were hoping that all this would be over in a month or so. Yet here we are again hoping that this long pandemic is subsiding and that things will be back to normal soon. This worries me. There is a lot to be said for not going back to doing things the way we did before the pandemic. We have learned what is important to us. We have been more generous with others. We have taken the freed-up time and have explored new interests. We are enjoying time with our families and friends, even on Zoom. With a return to normalcy, we will also need to make decisions about which activities should go back into our schedules. It seems overwhelming since there is so much to fit into our time.
A wise friend of mine helped me learn to use time more efficiently. I often said that I didn’t have time to participate in things that I would have liked to do. She always seemed to be able to find blocks of time when she needed them. I asked her how she did it. She said “I use 5 minute blocks of time for 5 minute tasks.” If she had a few minutes to spare, she would use them! Instead of dedicating a couple of hours to doing laundry, for example, she would take a few minutes to sort and match socks, or fold and put away a load. She would write a postcard to a friend. She took out the trash. She called her Mom. All five-minute tasks. By doing this, she freed up blocks of time for enjoying herself and friends. I have never forgotten that sage advice!
How do you plan to use your time this season? God gave you a gift. How will you pass it on?
God, we thank you for our very lives. Help us to stay mindful of the time we have been given and to stay focused on how we can use our time to contribute to the coming of your kindom. Amen.