On the day that I am writing this, our family is marking a bit of a milestone: we now have a Fourth Grader living in our house. In truth this Fourth Grader has been living in our house for the past nine years, but he’s never been a Fourth Grader before. Last night – the night before the first day of Fourth Grade – my wife asked, “How is it that we now have a Fourth Grader?” “I don’t know,” I said. “I guess it’s true what they say (whoever “they” are) that “The days are long and the years are short.”
Raising children involves some very long days (and nights!). There can be a lot of activity and a lot of energy spent over the course of a single day. . . even a single morning trying to get your children out the door to go about their days. Priorities get re-prioritized and time can strangely go weirdly super-slow (like when the kids are hungry or bored and you’re waiting for your spouse to get home from work).
At the same time, raising children can involve some very short years. It seems like you blink and whole years fly by, effortlessly. It seems like just yesterday, we were bringing our son home from the hospital. And. . . “blink”. . . now he’s a Fourth Grader who is so tall, and reads chapter books on his own, and has is own interests, and friends.
The days might be long, but the years are short.
A few weeks ago, I quietly celebrated a personal milestone: twenty-five years ago, on August 22, 2001, I began working at Amity Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC as their brand new – fresh-out-of-seminary – Director of Christian Education and Youth. For the next three years, I spent quality time with children, families, young people, professionals, retirees, and some very old (but delightful) people. I regularly helped lead in worship – occasionally preaching – planned youth retreats, worked on curriculum for children, youth, and adults, and learned a bit about what it means to serve the church. I made plenty of mistakes along the way, worked with some wonderful folks, and learned just a little bit about what to do and what not to do. Twenty-five years later, I’m still learning.
There certainly have been some long days over the past twenty-five years, but the years have been so short. All of the kids from my first youth group are now in their thirties and have gotten married and have had children. Some of the people I knew back in those days have died, leaving a legacy of faithful service to God and the church. And even though I haven’t set foot in Amity Presbyterian for well over twenty years, I still love that place and am thankful for it.
The days might be long, but the years are short.
When the early Church talked about time, they looked at it in terms of “chronos” (linear time) and “kairos” (God’s time). So often, you and I are caught up in “chronos” time – and wondering how it could pass so quickly (or so slowly). But “kairos” time – God’s time – has a way of breaking into “chronos” time and revealing some very Holy things along the way.
As we mark the end of summer this Labor Day Weekend and as we prepare for FALL Welcome Sunday on September 13, it is my hope that our whole church family will be blessed with some “kairos” moments in which we are able to pause and give thanks for the ways that God is at work throughout every moment of the long days and short years of our lives.
See you in church!
Grace and Peace,
John
Prepare for Worship
This Week: “Face to Face” (Meeting Jesus Wherever ’Two or More’ are Gathered)
Read Matthew 18:15-20
Read Romans 13:8-14
Read or sing Hymn # 770 – “I’m Gonna Eat at the Welcome Table”
Attachments area
Preview YouTube video I’m Gonna Eat at the Welcome TablePreview YouTube video I’m Gonna Eat at the Welcome Table