The passage of time

Time is a constant companion who walks with you throughout your life

It is like your heart that keeps on beating even when you are asleep

A friend who sits with you through life’s ups and downs without speaking

It holds your hand and offers you comfort whilst it quietly ticks on by

It punctuates so many milestones that you experience through your life

The decoration you wear around your wrist is a constant reminder

One thing is for certain, the hands of time will continue to turn

Time shares your life journey from the beginning through to the end

From your first breath until it’s time for you to pass into the next life

The artist in you commits paint to canvas to illustrate who you are

Each stroke is like “a first” in your life, your first step, your first word

You learn to walk, the day you go to school, when you start to ride a bike

find your first best friend, your first crush, your first kiss, and you find Jesus

your first pay cheque, your first drink, your first flight, having your heart broken,

You pass your driving test, start your first job, promotion, leave home, get married

Time moves on, it's time to buy your first house. Some are fortunate to have children

experience sleepless nights, go on family holidays, you realise that life is not all about you

When you are young, you don’t ever think that you will grow old, but when you are older

Your youth is traded for life experience, and you start to see things through your children

They go through all the same things you have been through, but illustrate them differently

We look back, but realise that the cogs of time will always continue to move forward

For those who are fortunate enough to find a life partner, you are no longer alone

The bed you used to sleep in doubles in size and there is another person in it!

The house you live in is furnished with things you chose and bought together

You decide how you are going to use your wages and learn about compromise

One of the gifts of marriage is the ability to share life’s ups and downs together

You support each other emotionally; you listen to each other and cheer each other up

You laugh together, cry together, and forge out a way for your children’s future

You’ve heard the song “Love Changes Everything.” Well, love changes as time goes by

The early stages are exciting, you can’t wait to be together again, they are shiny and new

There is a sense that you can take on the world.  Before kids, Saturday mornings are lazy

Without realising it, you squander free time; your universe is small, just the two of you

Some of the shine wears off as you learn that you are not perfect and have flaws

Excitement is replaced with reality that you have bad habits, which can be irritating

Children arrive, and everything changes. You are no longer the centre of your universe

Somewhere along the way, your wedding vows become much more real to you

“For better, for worse, in sickness and in health” – you experience all of these things

You are given a spade and told to start building the foundations of your marriage

Digging can be hard work as the sun shines on your back, followed by vigorous rain

It becomes apparent that long-term commitment is more important than fuzzy feelings

You learn to dig in and work through disputes and problems, even when you don’t want to

Through life’s ups and downs, you realise that love is not a feeling, it’s an act of the will

 You realise that the gift of time is one of the most precious commodities we have

For every single one of us, we can anticipate an appointment with the great unknown

We will gather up everything we have, everything we have learned and leave this world

Faith is at the centre of this transition. When it comes, we will go and be with Jesus

We will become new creatures, the old will pass away and the new will come

But until that day comes, let’s be grateful for the life we have and the time we have

Time teaches us that faith, hope, and love abound, but the greatest of these is love