Taking Time to Smell the Roses of Sharon

No, I'm not creeping around someone's bushes trying to sniff out their floral fragrance. The plant grows just outside my window. I can't actually smell it. I don't even know if it's a Rose of Sharon. It could be a hibiscus. My horticultural knowledge leaves something to be desired. Gosh, you must be wondering if I will ever get to the point. Do you appreciate the irony? I do.

We live in a fast-paced world. Forget snail mail, I have email as in messages that appear "e"mmediately. In the search for a soul mate? Give speed dating a try. Who knows? You might find the one in under five minutes flat. Want something to eat? I'll microwave your meal. Better yet, why not drive-thru the local burger joint? We won't even need to stop really. Feeling out of shape? These three simple exercises at your desk will make all the difference in no time. Or maybe you would like to see if you can get rich quick? We can seemingly communicate, relate, and calibrate ourselves instantaneously!

Still frustrated? The absurd examples don't do it for your well-honed mind? Well, hold your horses and I'll cut to the chase. I'll even make it interesting by giving the message in a brief rebus puzzle. The answer follows the question so scroll when you are ready.

S

L

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Was your response "slow down"? Fancy that. So was mine! Take time to appreciate. Consider your commitments. Evaluate your choices. Over the last few months, this hasn't been easy. The pandemic shifted many responsibilities and reduced the number of options available to us. I wish I could claim immunity but my own online learning rat race left much to be desired. Don't get me wrong: I love teaching, just not over the internet. I'm grateful we could finish classes and I praise God for my job.

Now, it's summer vacation. Hallelujah! Time to take a break. With my regular routines off kilter, I can still feel the adrenaline pumping. Relaxing becomes a task in itself. Perhaps this has always been your reality but for me it represents a new state of affairs. So, I'm opening my window in hopes the flowers will help and I'm taking my own advice.

Time is precious. Surrender it to Jesus. Savour our Saviour. Each minute, a miracle awaits. God is good and his steadfast love never fails. When we turn from our frantic searching, we can rest in his promises. Quietly listen to his voice and trust his word. "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.... You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:1, 6, 8). Because Jesus lives, we have all the time in the world!