Tick-Tock—A Paradox

Time moves at a snail’s pace. And yet, it passes me at break-neck speed.

Isn’t that the paradox? In one moment, the seconds drag like winter’s darkness that will never end. The waiting, the uncertainty, the not knowing or understanding, the prayers we whisper over and over again—it all feels so endless. But then we look up, and years… even decades, have raced by. Children grow—our babies have babies… and their babies have babies. Life goes on. Seasons change. Time on earth wanes—tick-tock. Our own face in the mirror betrays us—telling a story of speed we never chose—all while crawling through the slow.

Scripture reminds us: “A thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by” (Psalm 90:4). Time bends differently in His hands. And when you have more days behind you than in front of you, you think differently—see things differently. What feels slow is often the holy work of formation. What feels fast is the reminder that this life is fleeting and meant to be treasured.

So today, resist the temptation to curse the slow. Push back against any resentment of the fast. Receive both. Accept them. Take it all in. Be present in each now. Most often, the slow is where God is shaping you. The fast is where He reminds you to number your days—just as the Psalmist prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)—and to live them with grace, gratitude, joy, and wisdom.

Maybe the truest pace is not the snail’s crawl or the break-neck rush, but the steady walk with Him. Step by step. Day by day. Season by season. Not wishing for something different. Not stuck behind. Not racing ahead. But… right on time. And maybe that steady walk with Him is the only rhythm that truly redeems the relentless tick-tock of time.

Prayer

Lord… teach me to trust Your timing and seasons—when life feels stalled and when it feels like it’s slipping through my fingers. Help me walk at the pace of grace. In the name of the One who paced out each day in full accord with You… Amen.