At this time of year, I find myself asking, “Where has the time gone?” The months seem to fly past, swept along by school terms, holidays, and endless to-do lists. It’s easy to feel as though we’re racing the clock, constantly trying to catch up.
But here’s a thought worth taking a second to pause for: a clock doesn’t know the time.
It’s a simple phrase, but it invites reflection. A clock can measure time precisely, but it doesn’t understand it. It doesn’t know the joy of a conversation with a friend, the beauty of a summer sunset, or the peace of a quiet moment. Those are the things that give time its meaning. We’re the ones who give time its value, by how we choose to spend it.
From a Christian perspective, this idea opens up something even deeper. In Psalm 90:4, we read, “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by.” God is not bound by hours or calendars. His view of time is expansive, eternal. While we often live in a rush, God sees the whole picture – beginning, middle, and end – all at once.
That can bring comfort. If we feel hurried or behind, perhaps it’s not the schedule that matters most, but how present we are in the moment. Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34). It’s a call to live more fully in today – not to ignore responsibilities, but to find peace in trusting that we don’t need to hold everything together on our own.
In our fast-paced world, slowing down is countercultural. Yet it’s often in stillness that we hear what really matters. Whether through quiet prayer, a mindful walk, a conversation with someone we care about, or simply putting the phone away, we can begin to reconnect – with ourselves, with others, and with God.
When we slow down, we begin to notice the small things we often overlook – the kindness of a neighbour, the song of a bird, the way light falls through the trees. Time becomes less about pressure and more about presence.
It is so easy to measure success by how much we get done. But what if success was about how present we are, how deeply we listen, and how fully we love?
So as the year marches on, perhaps it’s time to pause. A clock doesn’t know the time. But we do – if we choose to stop, breathe, and be present to the life unfolding right in front of us.
