Today’s Word from Deacon Amy…
Winston Churchill once said, “no hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.” I fully agree. I’ve spent more hours of my life than I can count in the saddle, and I don’t feel that a single moment of that time has been wasted. Riding horses is one of my greatest joys. I swear I can breathe more freely and see more clearly when I’m riding – especially in the trails. To me, there is something magical about seeing the world from astride a horse.
I’m curious – how do you spend your free time? Where do you find joy?
The book of Ecclesiastes has a lovely passage about time:
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”
(Did you catch the line that said, “a time to refrain from embracing”? Who knew that physical distancing was Biblical?)
For me, riding horses falls under the “time to dance” phrase – I think that both actions are physical exclamations of joy! Time spent in the saddle is time to relax, time to absorb the astounding beauty of the world around me, time to connect with God’s creation, and time to be fully present in my body.
The past year has given us ample opportunity to participate in the times of weeping and mourning. I urge you now to focus your energy and time toward healing, building, laughing, and dancing. Where do you find joy in your life? Where can you spread joy for others?
As Pastor Jim says, we’re closer to the end than we are to the beginning. We are nearing the completion of the time of pandemic. Let’s start turning the corner and focusing on the next phase. We can choose to fill the coming time with joy, laughter, love, and peace.
Let’s not waste our time.
Deacon Amy
