My Life and Times Belong to God
Where I live my little segment of time, I must live it in the light of the fact that all of the vast complex of which my little segment is a part, gives to my little segment its meaning.
Therefore, I cannot say about my life that it is of no account, I cannot say of the time that I am living that nothing seems to be happening, because this is not one of the great and tempestuous or creative moments in human history or in the history of worlds.
My time is my time, and I must live my time with as much fullness and significance as I am capable of, because my little segment of time is all the time that I have.
I cannot wait to begin living meaningfully when I will have more time, because all the time that I can ever experience is the time interval of my moment, so that my minutes, my hours, my days, my months, must be full of my flavor and my meaning.
Therefore, I will bring to my day, as commonplace and insignificant as it may seem, the fullest mind, the greatest purpose, and the most significant intent of which I am capable, because my time is not merely mine, but because my time is in [God’s] hands as well.
—Howard Thurman,
The Mood of Christmas
We do love our independence. We’ve been taught that happiness is the result of it; to work towards it. We’ve been taught to be independent in every way—then we will be the happiest. And yet, we have never had more unhappy people in the world than we do today. Why? Independence isn’t the answer! Happiness doesn’t come from being isolated, with barriers up and masks on. Keeping people at a distance isn’t the way to be happy. Happiness doesn’t come from independence; it comes from interdependence. Happiness comes from being in community. That’s the way God designed us. And He ordained the times and the places of our habitation—our lives are truly in His hands. In the beginning God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Notice the plural pronouns: us and our. God is community within himself—the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He made us in his image, to be in community. That’s the way he intends for us to live. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics