The Swinging Pendulum

In this digital age, some people cannot tell the time when looking at an old fashion clock face. And some do not remember winding clocks with a key or watches by the stem. I suppose that our modern timekeepers with their glowing numbers are more accurate. However, I often miss the soothing effect of the ticking of a good old clock.

I especially like clocks with pendulums. The swinging pendulum is marking time as it moderates and motivates the clock. With every swing of the pendulum, another second is gone. Seconds add up to minutes, minutes add up to hours and hours add up to days. This is the passage of time and time is like a great threshing machine mowing down the days of our lives.

The swinging pendulum also joins with God’s Word to remind me that each passing second puts us closer to the return of Christ. Every minute that goes by someone slips into eternity, and every hour that passes is a lost opportunity to do good. Days that are passed cannot be reclaimed and days not spent doing God’s will are days spent outside of God’s will.     

I will confess, I am a sinner and my greatest sin is probably the wasting of time. The Bible teaches that there is a time for everything and a wise person will know the proper time for every matter. The Bible also tells us that our time is in God’s hands. None of us know the day or hour when our pendulum will stop swinging.

It is important to make plans for tomorrow but know that tomorrow is not guaranteed. Understand, in the grand scheme of eternity, your life is as transient as the steam rising from my coffee cup. So borrowing a phrase from an old movie, we should live our lives as if we have a long way to go and a short time to get there. After all the clock is ticking and time rushes on.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where the Pavement Ends

Email-pavementendsministry@gmail.com