One of my very favorite TV shows is a British sci fi called Doctor Who. In case you’ve never heard of it, the main character in this show is a person who can travel in space and time. He, or she since the current Doctor is a woman, always meets and becomes friends with a human who goes on adventures with them. Doctor Who is called a lord of time because he can go anywhere in the past or in the future in his spaceship.
Today, I’ve been thinking about time.
In the English language, we have a lot of expressions about time. We take our time. We lose time. Time doesn’t wait for us. These are all ways of saying that time is important and we never seem to have enough time.
We experience time in a linear way and we spend a lot of time thinking about the past or worrying about the future. For many of us, including myself, we have difficulty truly being present in the present.
For me, the rhythm of the church year helps me to view time in a cyclical way. We have church seasons in which we celebrate or remember the same things every year. The church calendar helps me stay grounded, especially during times of uncertainty or feeling lost. The seasons remind me of God’s consistency.
For those of us living in Ohio, we have specific seasons that we experience every year. And right now is not a favorite season for most people. It’s cold and dark, but it’s not Advent or Christmas. The snow is piled up and dirty on the sides of all the roads. My particular street is a dangerous ice skating rink. And as I check-in on my friends and community, everyone is tired. No one has the energy to do much of anything. And we feel guilty for feeling that way.
But nature requires this season. A season that isn’t our favorite. A season most of us would like to skip. I’m sure that the more experienced gardeners could tell you why the earth needs this dark, cold, quiet time. Nature must rest in order for spring to come. For things to grow and blossom.
But it’s uncomfortable for us to slow down, isn’t it? It’s even more uncomfortable for us to stop completely and rest. We have a lot of excuses why we can’t. And when we try to rest, we often get anxious about what we “should” be doing.
I wonder if we have these uncomfortable feelings about rest because we don’t feel safe. Resting doesn’t feel safe.
Ever since I was a kid, whenever I felt scared or stressed or didn’t know what to do, I would use my prayer time to imagine myself climbing on the lap of God. I would imagine God wrapping God’s arms around me, just like a mother would. In my experience, a mother’s lap can be the safest place in the whole world.
So I invite you to take a moment to imagine a safe place. Maybe it's walking along a beach, listening the waves crash; or perhaps it’s a garden where you’re smelling the different fragrances. Maybe it’s just being with a loved one. Or maybe it’s getting cozy under warm blankets with a cup of hot cocoa.
In this safe place, you may want to meditate on this sacred text.
“Return to your rest, my soul, for the Divine has been good to you.” Psalm 116:7
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God of rest, help us to find our safe place in you, knowing that you are Lord over our time. May we release any guilt or shame from our past. We put into your capable hands the anxieties we have about the future. Help us to be present now, aware of the necessity of this season of rest. May we feel peace right now in your presence. Amen.
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