Getting tuned to the right source...

I love to gain an hour.
I am certainly consistent about this. I hate losing an hour in the spring.
But gaining an hour feels like heaven.
So many days I (foolishly) think "If I had just one more hour"...and so many mornings, when I wake up, I think "If it was just an hour earlier....". Sunday was the day to gain an hour. I loved it.
I've had two problems with the time change through the years. One is my attitude about having the time change on a Sunday. People who would always remember to make the change to be at work on time forget about getting to church on time. The time change is always a reality check that we live in a world where people -- including people in the church--think that worship is not nearly as important as a number of other things they do.
The other problem is more practical: getting the clocks set. Do I set them ahead the night before? When I do that and the clock doesn't seem right in the morning, there's the inevitable time of double-check: have I already changed the clocks? So, for years, I would change ONE clock -- the alarm clock by my bed and leave the others so I could see the difference.
Now, I no longer have to do that. It's amazing, really.
I have a clock that is tuned into satellites. So it automatically gives the right time. No fuss, no muss, no bother. When power is restored after the electricity goes out, the clock automatically shows the correct time. I love it.
And this year, I learned that my GPS is the same way. It has the correct time with no resetting. And my Iphone is the same. Wonderful!
Basically, I learned that anything that is set to a signal beyond itself is going to be right no matter what happens. Everything that is not set to a signal beyond itself is going to need re-setting.
I love that life-snapshot.
The same thing is true for individual Christians and for churches: when we get our energy from a source beyond ourselves, we have peace no matter what else happens. How easy it is for people to get the fuel for their lives by schedules, family relationships and whatever the day brings. Like clocks that depend on batteries or electrical connections, re-setting is required. Tuning life to the life-source beyond ourselves in God is a major turn that makes all the difference.
The time I most need the "true time" is when the power has gone out at my house. And, all around us, people are living in circumstances where the power has gone out due to all kinds. When we are completely dependent on our own sources and life's storms and difficulties come, we recognize how inadequate the base has been. For those who are focused on a life source beyond themselves, life has a different quality, a different dependability, a different security no matter how big the storm or how severe the crisis. If I had one observation to make about the economic struggles of our nation, it is that we have learned that people have trusted money--not God-- for their security.
The true source of life: energy, wisdom, love, peace is beyond ourselves. The true source of life is found in Jesus and in serving others. "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you...not like the world's peace. So do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid." John 14:27