This weekend a couple of friends and I visited some local garage sales to see what bargains we could find. After a couple of hours, none of us had found anything we couldn’t live without. Even at our last stop, I didn’t find anything, but I eyed a long fluffy-looking cream-colored couch and sat down on it while my friends looked around. The woman who lived there came over and started to talk to me about the couch and telling me what a nice piece of furniture it was. I agreed, and as one does at garage sales, asked how much she wanted for it. She stated, “I’ll give it to you for five dollars.” I had no plan to buy a couch, but immediately responded, “I’ll take it.” I spent some time later that afternoon cleaning it and wondering what we could do with our old one. Bobby’s grandma had given us a loveseat when we were married, but it is well worn and out-dated, ’80s style…I keep it hidden under a slipcover. So we are excited that four adults can sit on this new one at the same time, and even lay completely outstretched on it too. This purchase was my bargain of all time and I doubt that I will ever top such a deal!

Other than the new-couch excitement, we had a relaxing weekend. Friday evening we attended a high school musical presentation of “Hello Dolly!” Saturday afternoon we enjoyed the sun at a baseball game. Sunday we had various church activities and at night Ty came with us out to a delicious dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. I’m glad that it is Monday, and post-the April 15th tax deadline. I think it’s going to be a nice slow week at the office.

I’ve been giving some thought the last few days to time. I get somewhat overwhelmed when I think about time and how fast it passes, we can’t change it and how it never stops. The concepts of time have really begun to pre-occupy my thoughts: How long? When? Are two questions I am often asking and I have to remind myself to believe fully and rest in the fact that God controls time. He invented time and he has put man into its realm and we live in submission to it because it never stops, but only keeps on passing each second without change. The sun rises and sets with all of mankind for all of history and in the entire universe obeying its toll. There are several things in my mind that I am looking forward to or wondering about and they are all wither future happenings or present realities that have been tainted by happenings in the past. I don’t just dwell on the idea of time, but rather how time and life are inseparably woven together. Or more particularly how my life and time are connected and I cannot, in my small mind comprehend my future developing in it. In a minimal sense I can recognize the fact that God has always existed in eternity past and that He will always exist in eternity to come. But I find myself often feeling bewildered as I seek to walk close to this everlasting God confined to this realm between these two eternities. This morning I turned to the Word to better align my perplexed thoughts of time and life with God’s.

God keeps me here for a purpose: the work of spreading His name and bringing Him glory. I have many ways to spend the time I have been given, but it is all a matter of focusing on God and not time or life.

“So what shall I offer to my Lord?
All that I’ve asked Him, He’s done more.
Return to your rest, oh my soul,
For His goodness has made me whole.

He delivers my soul from death,
My eyes from tears.
He keeps my feet from falling,
My cry He will hear.

I will offer my thanksgiving
That’s all I have to give.
I called upon the name of the Lord
And He let me live.”