Measuring Time by Life’s Before and Afters

I used to think time is measured in one of two ways. The first and most obvious is the calendar year, January to December. The second is the school year, August to May. Now I realize that major life events, the before-and-afters of our individual lives, have a way of shaping how we view time.

Nadine Gordimer summed it up perfectly when she said, “Time is change; we measure its passage by how much things alter.”

We can look back on our own lives and think of what life was like before and after:

• Marriage
• Children
• A career change
• A diagnosis
• A big move
• A breakup
• An encounter with God
• A loss
• A pandemic

With the new year approaching so quickly, the thought of time has been on my mind a lot, and quite frankly, I feel a little disoriented. I can barely remember January and February 2020, but March, oh, March, it will be forever etched into my mind.

I feel cautiously hopeful for what will come in the new calendar year. At the same time, I feel slightly disheartened by the thought that in less than three months, an entire year will have passed since the beginning of this crazy pandemic. How is that even possible? Will it ever truly end?

As these thoughts were swirling around in my mind a couple of days back, I hopped onto social media and saw my memories from this same time in December throughout previous years. A collage of pictures showed up from 6 years ago. My children were smiling ear to ear because their Baba had come home for Christmas. He’d been traveling for work for six months straight.

That year, the kids and I had a countdown to Christmas decoration hanging on our wall. When we found out he was coming home I printed his picture and put it over his expected arrival date. I’m not sure what they were more excited about that year, Christmas or having him home.

We still have that calendar countdown, and after six years, I still have his picture on it! At first, I left it there because I thought it was funny. After a couple of years, though, I left it as a reminder of what we’d all gone through.

“Time is change…” A lot changed in my family, my marriage, and for me personally during the year my husband traveled. Much was “altered,” as Gordimer penned it.

I didn’t appreciate the stretching and growing and changing that took place in myself and my marriage at the time. But when I look back now, I’m so unbelievably grateful for God’s grace to my family.

He is such a good God.  

When life is full of sunshine and rainbows, He’s a good God.

When life is confusing, scary, painful, and downright hard, He’s a good God.

Fast forward six years, and here we are in 2020. Sure, positive things have transpired this year, but I think it’s safe to say we’ve all faced difficulties of varying degrees this year. You may be in the worst spot imaginable even now, wondering how it came to this and if you’ll ever feel ok again.

I want to encourage you to stay strong, Friend. Years from now you’re going to look back on this time, and even if the memories sting and there’s not a single ray of sunshine breaking through the darkness, I’m 100% confident you will see how the grace of God has been working in your life, even now.

Amid your hurt, your pain, He’s holding you.

Amid your battle, He’s fighting for you.

Something good is on its way.

He is still a good God.

You may be facing a “before and after” experience that changes how you measure time. Your life may have drastically altered this year. But one thing will never change:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ, the one we celebrate this Christmas, knew that you and I would be in desperate need of Him in 2020. He is everything we could ever need, this year, in 2021, and always.

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given…And his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6