My granddaughter Avery came to visit me the other evening. She just lives down the street so it is really convenient for her Mom to bring her over. Avery came by because she wanted to play with Pawpaw for “just 10 minutes.” Though she didn’t stay too long, she did stay more than 10 minutes. She is still only 3 so she doesn’t have a real great grasp on the concept of time. She knows that 10 minutes is not a long time but it is long enough for her and Pawpaw to play catch, get in a quick game of hide and seek and sneak some fruit snacks from the pantry. Ten minutes to a three year old is about as hard and fast a boundary as 90 minutes is to the plumber or a cable guy that you are waiting on. I was reminded again about Avery’s different view on time because when she left 40 minutes later, she gave me a thumbs up and said, “See ya next year Pawpaw.”

I love that girl. As I laughed about her different perspective on time, I was reminded of the fact that my own perspective on time is just as different from God’s. There are times when I pray and pray and though I know God is listening it just seems like forever to me before He answers or intervenes in the situation. It is difficult occasionally for us to truly grasp and appreciate the same concept of time as that held by our Heavenly Father. God is from everlasting to everlasting. The Bible says in 2 Peter 3:8 “…with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” Peter does not want us to do literal calculations to figure out how long certain events are going to take, he just wants us to understand that we don’t think of, relate to or experience time in the same manner that God does. Peter wants us to trust that God works things out in His time and in His way.

When God promises us in Psalm 30 that “sorrow may last for the night but joy comes in the morning” He is not telling us that all of our heartaches will only last 24 hours. It is a promise that nothing lasts forever and that God will bring an end to every season of pain and heartache we endure if we place our faith and trust in Him. The sun will rise on a new day and God will bring us through our trial. Joy does come in the morning! No beloved, our grasp of time is not the same that of our Heavenly Father. But we can trust that He will always make time for us. I hope that you make time to spend time with Him today…even if it is only 10 minutes. Until next time, stay strong in the faith.