Don’t be Late!

            Do you remember that extra hour of sleep you got back in the Fall when you changed your clock? Well, guess what. They’re going to take it away this Saturday night. Yes, you will need to move your clocks forward one hour before going to bed on Saturday, or you will be late for church on Sunday.

            I used to joke and say that anyone who showed up at church on that morning as we were wrapping things up would have to take the preacher and his wife to lunch.  I never held anyone to that.  I do know that, historically, this Sunday in the year is often one of the lowest attendance days for churches. Folks do forget, and then realize the next morning that they are running late. Or, folks just don’t operate well on short rest, and they don’t get up in time for church that day.

            I’m just going to say this out loud. I hate changing the clocks back and forth. I lived in Indiana for almost seven years in the 1990’s, and back in the day we did not change our clocks. During the winter our time was the same as New York’s, and in the summer we matched Chicago.  And I liked it.

            I’ve heard there has been much conversation and debate in Congress about moving to one standardized time and doing away with Daylight Savings Time. But for whatever reason they don’t do it. I don’t care which way they go. Just let me set my clock one time and forget about it.  It took me decades to remember to fall back and spring forward.

            I think there are probably lots of lessons to learn here. Perhaps the most important one for me is that I need to be more patient, and not worry about those things I can’t control. If my blood pressure is impacted by this, then I have a problem.

            Paul wrote, “Be anxious for nothing.” That’s great advice, but often hard to do. The only way not to be anxious is fully to trust in the Lord. We need to remember that He is greater than any of our problems.  He can be trusted. We don’t need to worry. 

            I hope you get to church on time this Sunday. If not, you can choose the restaurant.