“Time is an illusion.” – Albert Einstein

“Being fully in the present, you experience the timeless. In the timeless, you experience your true self.” – Deepak Chopra

“The timeless in you is aware of life’s timelessness and knows that yesterday is but today’s memory and tomorrow is today’s dream.” – Khalil Gibran

“We are eternal beings. Endings are not in our destiny.” – Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“…. but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23 Amplified Bible

I know I have said this often, but it’s worth repeating.  So many things in this world are counter-spiritual – in opposition to who we really are.  When you think about it in relationship to the meaning behind our physical existence, the antagonism or conflict we encounter makes sense, I guess.  If we are indeed here to learn and grow, then the only way that works itself out is to experience the opposite extreme.

Think about this in relationship to time.  Everything we do is centered in it – every activity, every thought, and every endeavor is measured and driven by it.

We set an alarm to ensure we awaken at a precise moment in time.  Most of us wear a watch to remind us of it or have an application on our phones that constantly displays it.  We measure it at work to ensure we are paid appropriately for it and are always looking forward to the “time off” we have accrued or earned.  We use it to gauge what is young and old, fresh or outdated, and to determine what is trendy or unfashionable. 

In so many ways, we are a prisoner to it.  The world tells us we only have so much of it and we are encouraged to save it, manage it, and squeeze as much out of it as we can.   Isn’t it strange how a minute is a minute, but depending on the activity you are engaged in, one can fly by and the other can drag on forever? 

We measure our lives in the weeks, months and years that pass.  We all seem to embrace the falsehood that a “normal” life span lasts 80-90 years, so the young amongst us tend to frivolously waste it and those up in years seem to feel a looming sense that not much of it is left.  But in our subconscious, we all know well that when our time here is done, regardless of age, we don’t have much choice in the matter.

But….that is the worldly view.  The truth is we are all timeless.  Death isn’t the end.  Death is a transition – the start of a new beginning.

What if each of us could live out our lives here in this world keeping that spiritual truth in the forefront of our minds?  What if we could face every circumstance, every obstacle, and every situation with the nuance of eternity resting in the center of our thoughts?  How would adopting that mindset change us – change our view of what is happening within our life?

Would we grieve as much as we do now for loved ones that are no longer in our lives if we embraced the idea of an infinity with no end?

Would it seem practical to refuse to forgive, hold on to bitterness or turn our back on someone forever?  Would we look at our marriage, our friendships, and the people who come into our lives in a new and different way?

Would the pressure around getting rich quick or the worries surrounding your health and longevity change?  Would we stress about our jobs or our retirement accounts as much?

Would the waiting time that passes for dreams to become realized seem as long?  Would periods of loneliness, misfortune, or suffering seem more like small segments in time versus a wasted, unfair or an unjust drain of precious time?

Would a cloudy, hurtful past or an uncertain future hold as much weight as they do now – especially when the future is limitless?

Would phrases like “terminal illness” or “permanent disability” really hold any kind of meaning anymore?

Would your goals change?  Would your priorities shift?  Would you start doing things differently than you are now?

I hope that tonight you spend some quiet time embracing this truth:  That you are special, unique, and most of all timeless 🙂

Ask yourself if holding on to this fact would change anything currently in your life – how you see things, what you are currently involved in, or how it potentially changes your direction moving forward.

May our Lord bless you now and through eternity 🙂