A Tale of Two Clocks

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. – 2 Peter 3:8 (NIV)

I grumbled as I shuffled to the outdoor trashcan after cleaning up my dog’s millionth accident. I reached for the doorknob of my apartment and couldn’t get in.

I had locked myself out and my partner was asleep.

I had such a long to-do list for the morning that I immediately started berating myself. How could I finish unpacking in a timely manner if I accidentally dedicated an undetermined amount of time to creeping around my house, seeing if I could get my partner to let me in?

Where would I reallot my regular morning session of worrying about things I couldn’t change? After about fifteen minutes, I accepted my fate. I was wedded to my front stoop until my partner found me.

And then, I saw the kind face of the woman collecting cans from neighborhood receptacles and the gentle gaze of the man who wanted to make sure she made it up the hill without losing her cart.

I saw my next-door neighbor for the first time, as he wished me a great weekend.

I met a sweet neighborhood dog, whose excitement eventually made my dogs bark and led to my partner finding me.

I would have missed so much of a beautiful morning working on the things I thought couldn’t wait, chasing time and simultaneously hoping time didn’t catch up with me.

I’m so thankful for the reminder that God’s time isn’t about my tasks or to-do lists. God’s time is about the interconnected breaths and moments that remind us we all belong to each other.

Prayer
Dear God: Keep resetting my clock to keep me mindful of others and closer to You. Amen.

Small Group Discussion

About the Author
Marchaé Grair is a spiritual director, facilitator, and the Director of Public Relations and Outreach at the Unitarian Universalist Association. Follow her work at marchae.com.