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Viewpoint from Rev Sue Upton 17/11/2023
 Rev Sue Upton
Assistant Minister, St Andrew's Church. Gorleston and St Nicholas' Church, Bradwell
Time
As I write we are about to go on a canal boat holiday in the midlands. We have had narrowboats from various places over the years and had adventures going over super high viaducts, through super long tunnels, and negotiating a giant staircase of locks. This holiday could contain the greatest number of locks of them all, but not to worry, we have 2 strapping teenage grandsons as part of the team who are fabulous with locks
 The thing I love about such a holiday is that time just seems to expand. From the moment we get on the boat we have to go at boat time, whether that is the speed we actually move along the canal, not too much more than walking pace, or the time that it takes to boil a kettle, you almost have to put the kettle on again as soon as you have had one drink in order to have hot water for the next round of teas and coffees, and even the speed of moving around the boat is slower as there just isn’t the space to hurry. There is no option but to enjoy a more relaxed pace of life
The writer of Ecclesiastes says that there is a time for everything, but all too often it seems that there isn’t time for anything as we dash around from one activity to the next. But yet time doesn’t always seem to be the same. An hour or two sitting with friends over a meal seems so much shorter than the few minutes waiting for the bus to arrive so that you can get to that appointment. Sometimes I seem to get so much done in an hour, sometimes in similar conditions I seem to achieve very little
David in one of his Psalms writes of God “the times are in your hands”, and that is what seems to make the difference for me. If I really take the time to pray and give my day to God, then everything seems to slot into place. If I have so much to do that I dash into the day without first giving it to God, then it never goes so well. Martin Luther is quoted as saying “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer”
However we spend it, each hour is precious and we will never get it back again so let’s spend our time well
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