In the nick of time

I woke up one morning last week convinced that it was Friday. As the coffee surged through my veins, I opened my iPad and noticed the date said Saturday. Several minutes passed before I admitted to myself that I was wrong. Somehow, I was a whole day behind! Although extreme, this is not an isolated episode. I frequently say things like, “It’s Thursday, already?” Or, “Where did the week/month/year go?” And, “Seriously – my column is due TODAY?!”

It wasn’t always so. I tried to explain that to my sweet 11-year-old granddaughter, Cassy, who can hardly wait for her birthday. “When you get older, time passes much more quickly than at your age.” She nodded her blond head, but the look on her face told me she thought Nana was losing more than just track of time. But it’s true. When I was a kid the year end, my birthday or holidays never “snuck up” on me. Christmas in particular took absolutely forever to arrive.

All my friends had their Christmas trees up early in December. But Pa was very particular about his tree protocols. It had to be spruce or fir (short needles), as symmetrical as possible. He would pull out and spin around each specimen at the sales yard. He brought the best one home. However, instead of putting it up, he would give the stem a fresh cut and leave it standing in water for several days. Not until one week before Christmas did the tree go up. Presents magically appeared beneath it when no one was looking.

I wasn’t allowed to touch the tree or the gifts, but I would lie on my stomach and size up every package with my name on it, guessing what treasures it might hold. At school we sang carols. On my walk home I surveyed the twinkling lights in the store windows. Every TV program was punctuated with advertising for the absolute-must-have gift of the year. Seven days felt like eternity. Then – just when I thought I might burst with anticipation – the big day came.

Even brighter next time

Why the change in perception over the years? Maybe it has to do with distractions. As a child I was always laser-focused on the next exciting event – like Christmas. But now as an adult my mind is occupied with many things – some happy, some distressing, some trivial and some hugely significant. At times my thoughts ricochet like bullets in a box canyon. There’s a lot of noise, but nothing hits a target.

I can’t relive my childhood. But maybe as we enter this Advent season I can quiet my mind and concentrate on the beauty and wonder of Christmas – to really ponder the birth of the Saviour 2,000 years ago. And beyond that, maybe I can meditate on the next big thing – a stunning turn of events when we least expect it. When darkness threatens to overwhelm, when it appears that evil prevails and hope is lost, there will be a “eucatastrophe” to end all others. A light will shine even brighter than the star of the east and our Redeemer will return – not as a baby in a manger, but as the mighty King of Kings that he is. Pay attention. It will come. In the nick of time.