So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-17, NASB)
Peering down the short par-3 twelfth, I breathed out my frustration at bogeying the par-5 eleventh. The wind, helping off my right shoulder, said solid pitching wedge. Kenny gave me the nod.
Settling into my stance, I eyed the green’s right corner to accommodate a severe right-to-left slope. After glancing at my target, I set my swing in motion. The strike felt like a knife cutting through soft butter. Frozen on my left foot, I watched intently. The sun’s glare blurred the first bounce, but a crescendo of noise erupted as the ball disappeared into the cup. An electrified funnel of wind swirled around us.
A hole-in-one at the US Women’s Open on live TV and one of ESPN’s top 10 plays of the day. I will never forget that Kairos moment (an appointed time, an opportune moment, or a due season).
Chronos time, a measure of forward-propelling minutes and seconds is how we measure our days, months, and years. We go about each day doing what needs to be done. We say time is flying by, or we feel it moves at a snail’s pace. Many parents tell their children, “Stop wasting time.” Or maybe we are reminded of this ourselves when social media pulls us into a rabbit hole.
Jamie Winship in Living Fearless introduces the idea that time doesn’t pass; instead, it is “merely a measurement of the movement of objects in space.” The rising and setting of the sun measure daylight and darkness. The tick of a clock or the lock screen on our phones reveals the time at a specific moment. Our days, beginning with our first breath, move through this measurement of time until death. But time is also beautiful and created for the purpose of moving us forward in what God has for us.
Here enter Kairos moments that have the potential to alter our lives in ways we never dreamed possible. A Kairos moment is evidenced when you meet your spouse, the day you meet Jesus or the birth of a child. Sometimes we are blind to these appointed moments because we don’t see or believe where God is leading us. Or we just say no to them.
God is patient and will keep offering Kairos moments, even when we miss them. Our work is to return our focus to him, “looking to Jesus, the founder, and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2a ESV).”
As Chronos time marches us forward this year, Kairos moments are waiting. Be intentional in looking for them. Seek God’s wisdom. Ask, “Lord, where are we going? What do you want me to know? What do you want me to do?” The journey might be wide and easy or a hard climb. Look for the beauty in it all and make the most of your time.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the movement of time. Lead us, show us, and talk with us throughout the year. Open our eyes to the Kairos moments you already have planned.