Our family loves soccer. While I was watching a game on television the other day, the linesman held up a sign indicating how much stoppage time would be added to the game. Stoppage time is exactly what it implies—the period of time the game clock has been stopped, often because of player injury. That time is then added to the end of the game.
I had an “aha” moment just then. It occurred to me that there is no stoppage time in Life, which is God, in whom we live. Nor does Life need extra time. Life is eternal, and there is never a moment when the continuity of being can be challenged or stopped, never a moment when we are separated from God’s love and goodness. Paul asked, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35). And he continued, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (verses 38, 39).
At the time this insight came to me, I was feeling a great sense of burden and sadness. I had lost my sweet dog and a dear friend in a short period of time. For me, time seemed to stop. Indeed, I felt our relationships had been abruptly ended. I wouldn’t see either of them again. I wouldn’t be able to talk or interact with them. I felt confident of their ongoing lives, but what about poor me? These “woe is me” thoughts were completely selfish, not to mention limiting to everyone.
