Time treads on steadfast feet. It never changes its pace, but continues on, unchanging and unbending to the world.
It doesn’t speed up through pain, loss, or grief. You can’t fast-forward through circumstances you cannot change and must endure. You can’t freeze a moment to embrace the love, joy, and peace.
We learn to use those moments wisely, enduring the pain and storing up the joy as those moments continue to march into an unknown future.
Time treads on silent feet. There is little warning of what the next moment will hold. One moment a loved one is breathing, the next moment they aren’t. Then, we’re appalled that time dares to continue on, when our hearts are frozen with grief. Moments painfully unfold without the presence of that loved one.
Time treads on supine feet. It’s neither wise nor foolish, happy nor sad. It doesn’t cause or heal pain. How you use your time makes it your friend or foe, it’s a commodity for you to use wisely.
In 2013, as with many families, we suffered sorrows and joys. Just before Christmas, we buried my beloved 99 year-old Grandma. Three months prior, one set of cousins buried their mother, another set buried their father. Even though we gathered with broken hearts, there was joy in being together, in comforting one another, and in renewing relationships.
Everything Has Its Time
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
3 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
2A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.
We’ve been given the gift of time, a new year to face with hope. What will you do with your gift? Use it wisely, because time treads on silent and steadfast feet.
I get so much from your writings. So thankful God let me find your blog. I surely could relate to all you said today. I am now an adult orphan…a very lonely, strange place to find yourself…no matter how old you are. Losing that second parent has been so traumatic for me. Just feeling so lost without a parent to turn to. My heart aches as I miss them, but how very grateful I am to know that they both now rest in the loving arms of our dear Lord…forever and completely pain-and-sorrow-free. I’m sorry for the loss of your grandmother and uncle and aunt. May God comfort you in your grief, and may we always remember how precious one breath of life really is. I am now battling pneumonia, and every time I breathe shallow, I am reminded anew. Please keep me and my family in your prayers, if we come to mind, and please feel free to visit my blog sometime, too, if you’d like. Love, Cheryl
Cheryl, thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement. You are so warm in your heart and thoughts. I’m sorry to hear you’ve lost both your parents, after losing my final grandparent, I realized I have to face that next. It isn’t a pleasant thought. I’m sorry to hear you have pneumonia, I will pray for healing and encouragement as you have to slow your pace to what your body allows. Blessings on the new year and thank you again for being such an encouraging part of my blogging world. Love, Mindy
Your prayers mean SO much to me right now! I had to reply to you because I have been in the process of writing a blog on how the Lord is slowing my pace! I thought it was amazing that you confirmed what God is teaching me. 🙂 Just wanted you to know.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Eccl. 3:11
Praying that I live to glorify Him more this year than last year. So thankful He is merciful as I fail often.
Love you and sorry for your different losses. It’s never easy to say goodbye to a loved one.
Beautiful verses on time, Tandis, thank you for sharing! Great goal for the coming year. Blessings to your precious family.
Beautiful and profound, Mindy. Thanks for reminding us!
Thank you for taking time to comment. It is a precious commodity! Blessings to you and your family in this coming new year.
Does it ever…
But, praying in this new year that TIME and KENDRA will tread on steadfast feet. Love you!