Time Travel?
Having just read the opening chapters of The Time Traveler’s Wife, I was a bit taken aback when I saw the bulletin for the Ash Wednesday service. Had we skipped forward to March 22nd? Had I been transported one month hence in the blink of an eye? It was a little disconcerting until I realized it was only a typo.
Even so, it gave me pause. It made me stop for a moment and reflect on the number of times I do travel back and forth in time — in my mind. The Past. The Future. They beckon me, and quite often I find myself there instead of where I need to be — The Present.
A friend gave me a beautiful little piece of artwork, the gist of which is that God’s name is not “I Was” or “I Will Be” but rather “I Am.” I love the reminder that He is with us in the here and now; if we look for Him in the past or the future, we may not find Him, and we will feel alone.
As I reflected upon what to give up for Lent this year, I decided that I would try to be less self-indulgent. That does cover a lot of territory. For me, it includes spending time in other dimensions, where I sometimes over-indulge in nut-filled fantasy fudge.
I decided to limit my time travel in favor of staying in the place called The Here and Now. After all, that’s where God Is.
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