I fixed the clock...kind of!

If you have never taken apart a clock and put it back together; don't do it.  It all began one evening when the wall clock in our living room fell about 3 feet onto a waiting table.  The mechanism itself broke free and needed to be fixed or thrown out.  Not wanting to waste a perfectly good opportunity to fix the clock (something men do), I took it apart and put it back together.  The clock worked well for a few months.  Now, the clock is stuck at 11:55 (am or pm).  The clock makes it tic-tock sound as it it's rotating around the face of the clock.  Only, it doesn't.  So if you are in a hurry to find out what time it is you are faced with 11:55 (am or pm).  It's been that way now for several months and I've decided to leave it up and doing something/nothing for the time being.  No one else seems to mind.  The dogs don't care.  They have an internal clock that tells them when to bug me for food.  The can come and go as they please through the dog doors.  So, I've checked fixing the clock off my list.  It was the only reasonable thing to do.  You might be wondering why I don't just replace the clock.  Good question.  My initial response is that I don't need the big wall clock when I have my cell phone or am on the computer.  We have an abundance of devices that keep our "clock" going (dogs are a good example).  What we need to hone is our ability to listen to our inner clock.  One of my elementary school teachers told me, "Time passes Steven, will you?"  My inner clock said I should be going to lunch at that time.  She disagreed.  So, my inner clock wasn't backed up with fact.  Today's not much different.  With the exception of the occasional reminder from God that I need to pray or listen or talk.  The Holy Spirit was sent to be our companion and comforter.  His clock is very sensitive and reality based.  What happens over time is we tend to not pay attention to the clock on the wall that doesn't show the time while it tic-tocks away.  We don't have any urgency to listen to the Holy Spirit telling us much of anything.  As a result we don't have much to show for our lives lived for Christ.  God wasn't kidding when he said that we needed to be ready to do whatever He tells us to do and when we are to accomplish that task.  Every now and then we have our "spiritual clock" forced upon us through circumstances.  My friend Ray, reminded me of a story I had told him years ago.  I had left the house and was driving along the street when God pointed out a homeless man walking on the sidewalk.  It was raining out (duh it's Seattle) and the man was getting quite wet.  The Holy Spirit said, "It's time."  I asked, "Time for what?"  Knowing good and well what was about to happen I listened.  The Holy Spirit told me to give the man my beloved black hat.  By then I had passed the man so I went around the block and pulled up beside him.  I rolled down the window and told the man that God told me to ask him if he would like my hat (really it was God's hat).  He said he would like that.  I handed him the hat.  He said, "Thanks!" and I drove away.  I've never seen him since.  So, the clock that God maintains is driven by two things.  First our ability to listen to the "time" when God chooses to use us.  The second is to act when we are told to do something (even if we don't want to).  Should we join the rest of humanity and do nothing we should expect nothing from God.  So, I still haven't fixed the clock on the wall.  I fix the internal clock every morning and sometimes through out the day.  People still shake their heads in disbelief when I do something God tells me to do.  I've got all the time in the world and should use it wisely.  I'll listen more carefully to the Holy Spirit clock today.