We had returned from a lovely walk and dinner was in capable hands so I had time to busy myself in the garden.  At this time of year I was picking blackberries, harvesting yet more courgettes and encouraging the flowers in the hanging baskets and pots to keep flowering. When I stopped for some refreshment I was able to watch the once newly- fledged birds, now fending for themselves and I thought to myself what a joy it is to be able to experience the different seasons, each with its own challenges like keeping warm, keeping dry, keeping cool and keeping the garden under control!

At a recent funeral in our church, we heard read the passage from Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 which begins with the words

            “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens;

            A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…’

It reminded me that we are often told that this is our time – time to be disciples for Christ, not only to care for our church building but also the people who come into it either for a short visit or to join us in regular worship.

It got me thinking about “time”. In the New Oxford English Dictionary the definition stretches to over four columns. “Time” has been written about by many playwrights and poets and features in many song lyrics too. Those of us of a certain age will no doubt remember many of those popular songs from the 1960s and 1970s. How many times have we found ourselves saying “when I have time”, “I ran out of time”, “if I only had more time”, and, as we get older, “where did that time go?” I know it has been said that God laughs at people who make plans, because of course His is the ultimate plan, but sometimes I think it can help to have some structure to our day to make the best use of it. At the end of the day I often think back over it and ask myself if it was well spent.

At daily Morning Prayers we give thanks to God for the gift of each new day and ask that He is with us in the all the situations we find ourselves in, the words we speak, the actions we take and that His love will shine through us to the people we meet. Time is so precious – it slips through our lives like sand in an egg-timer – unstoppable. Each dawn is a new beginning, another opportunity for us to use our time well.

Yvonne Pickford