“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." (Matthew 24:36-42)
This Sunday, March 12th at 2 a.m. Daylight Savings Time goes in to effect. If you hold to the old saying, Fall Back, Spring Forward that means we will lose an hour of time this week. With the upcoming change to daylight saving time on March 14, most Americans will "spring forward," setting their clocks ahead one hour. Unlike the "fall back" time adjustment, this change isn't the fun one: Without changing habits, many are likely to lose an hour of sleep – and that can come with negative consequences for physical and mental health. While the federal government contemplates making DST a permanent standard, I guess that means we could permanently lose an hour of our life. In past we would gain an hour in the fall which means we would come out even in a year but a permanent change will throw that balance off.
The sleep deprivation caused by this adjustment persists longer than just a day. If lucky, during the week following the Sunday transition, people may experience a 30-minute decrease in sleep each night, even through the following Friday. A neurologist wrote, "I see this forced sleep deprivation and circadian rhythm disruption as unnecessary. It is time to change this unhealthy practice. Collectively, the sleep deprivation brought on by the transition to daylight saving time has been associated with demonstrable physical harms." Statistics show the risk of experiencing a stroke or heart attack increases in days following the spring time change. I guess in reality, I lost at least 228 hours of sleep over my lifetime. (you can figure our how old I am by backing in mathematically).
While the above passage is pointing to the return of Christ, it can also be said about the end of life as well. No one knows the hour. I wonder what would happen if we got to the end of life and realized there was no time, would losing that hour to DST be a big deal? Would we want that hour back at the time of judgement so we could say to Christ, "hold on a sec it really isn't the right time, I still have an hour. I would like to cash in that last hour I lost so I can get ready to meet you. I have a few things I need to do before it's all over." The problem is simple, each day that passes results in us stepping closer to the judgement seat. No exceptions, no excuses, no delays. Hebrews 9:27-28 says, "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."
It is essential that we are right with Him at any hour. It is essential that we reach out to others we love to help them understand that time is going forward all the time and in the end there is no chance at cashing in that lost hour for a favor. When the time is set, there will not be another chance.
Much love and watch your time.
Preach
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