The Wind-Up Alarm Clock

Tonight our church held the Ash Wednesday service in the sanctuary. Ash Wednesday is the call to penitence, self-sacrifice, and the beginning of the Lenten season. It is not my favorite service. It is the service that makes me feel like an Old Testament prophet, and those folks weren't popular with their contemporaries, nor would they be popular with today's generation if they preached the same, "need to hear," sermon today.

The Bible reminds us that we are dust, and to dust we must return. With each tick of the clock we draw closer to the grave. We can't stop the ticking of the clock. It is the reminder we must heed. I've been in the company of those who are amazed, disbelieving, angry, horrified, and scared that we must return to the dust. Tick...tick...tick...tick...tick....

I use an old-fashioned wind-up alarm clock. I have since 1990. I like to hear the tick, tock, tick, tock. The cadence lulls me to sleep. The rhythm awakens me. The bell, scares the heck out of me. It says, "RRRRRRINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG.....MAAAAAKKKKEEEE COOOOFFEEEEE!!!!"

We don't like to hear the truth of OUR OWN lives, since we know the sin. We're not perfect, nor near it. But, the beauty is that there is a Savior, named Jesus. Jesus sees us as we are: Imperfect, sinful, with plenty of shame. Those with faith in Jesus, as Lord and Savior can rest with the knowledge of salvation, love, grace, forgiveness, and mercy because of our Lord and Savior. Jesus is the groom that sees His bride as beautiful, even though...

I wish I could do it on my own. I mean, I wish I could take care of my own sin and throw it away. I can't. Jesus did that. He made me able to stand up in front of the congregation and say that even though the clock is ticking and eroding life, Jesus has taken care of eroding lifetimes while making eternity beautiful beyond comprehension.

So, listen to the clicks, the ticks, and even the tocks. You don't get this afternoon back, you can't beg 1985 back, you can't even retrieve the words still hanging in the air you uttered this evening. But you can ALWAYS call on the one who wipes them away. Just remember, YOU ARE LOVED.