Time for February – Part 2

As this shortest month of the year, which sometimes wearily drags on the longest, passes the halfway point, I extend “Time for February” with a recent incident.

Over the holidays, I decorated our fireplace mantel.  In typical fashion, I decked it with Christmas-y greens, lights, and ornaments.  Also in typical fashion, a mantel clock usually sits centered there.  I moved the mantel clock off to the side on a nearby bookshelf, planning to keep it running, visible and audible in a temporary spot.

The clock is mechanical.  I wind it monthly and it keeps relatively good time, ticking in a calming, familiar way.  I gave the clock a few winds as I set it on its new perch and gently pushed the pendulum to restart it.  After a time, I realized the clock had not restarted.  I again gave the pendulum a little shove to get it going.  Again, some time later, the clock was not ticking, not keeping time.  Just to make sure, a third time, I wound it a bit more and started the pendulum.  This attempt also failed.

Now, I realized something else was awry.  I suspected the bookshelf where I placed the clock might not be level.  When the holidays ended and I put all the decorations away, the mantel clock went back on the mantel.  With no prompting from me, the clock began its ticking, meting out its normal timekeeping.  Apparently, the carpenter did a better job on the mantel than on our bookshelves!

Where do I take this time-keeping anecdote?  I think of one of Jesus’ more familiar parables:   The Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27, Luke 6:47-49).  Many know it well from the Sunday School ditty, “… the rains came down … and the floods went up!”  What happened?  When the winds and the rain came, as they certainly will, the house built on the sand collapsed, similar to my clock on the unlevel bookshelf.  The house built on the rock foundation stood firm in the flood:  my clock was perfectly functional on the solid mantel.  In this construction story, Jesus says our lives must be founded on something solid, namely Him and His Truths, or there will be “destruction” (Luke 6 v 49).  Storms are inevitable but grounding ourselves in Him stands the tests of time.

Author: Brenda Proulx

Wife, mother and grandmother, educator and someone who thinks about the things I observe. I am the daughter of a writer; my dad's career was in the field of journalism. More significantly, I am God's child, a person believing in Jesus Christ and in His timeless Word. Blogging is new to me but I feel like I've always had a pen in my hand. I jot notes in my planner, mark papers, underline verses, write many letters, and occasionally draft articles for work or church. When I am not holding a pen, I am probably cuddling a mug of coffee. View all posts by Brenda Proulx