October 23, 2019
Two times each year we change our clocks – back one hour in the fall and forward one hour in the spring. Foolishly, I have allowed myself to be annoyed by this interruption, and I get excited when I hear that it might end. I have taken some time to ponder why I would let such a small thing bother me.
- It confuses schedules. Someone will forget to change their clock and come to the church campus that Sunday an hour early or late. They feel foolish and I feel bad.
- It takes a lot of time to change all of the clocks – just count how many there are on this campus and at home. Thankfully, my cell phone and car clock – even many of the thermostats – do this automatically.
- It takes a few days for our body clock to make the adjustment. I know that at noon, many people are hungry when their body thinks it is 1:00 p.m.
So, what can I do to overcome my dislike for this interruption – small as it is? I need to use it as a way to accept changes over which I have no control. As I get older, there seem to be many of these. I can pray, “God, help me to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
When I gain that extra hour in the fall, I can remember to make good use of it, because in a few months, I will have to give it back. Perhaps the greatest help I have gained from facing this small challenge is to remember Hezekiah. He was ill and told he would die, and then God granted him 15 more years. But he was careless with this gift, and before his time was up, he made a foolish decision.
So, hold me accountable! No more whining from me about Daylight Saving Time. It is time for me to leave one more issue behind – an unwillingness to accept the process of Daylight Saving Time. It is something that I cannot change.
Pastor Bill Ehmann