Stop Rewinding the Crazy Clock
What does a dog chasing his tail, an octopus, and a wind-up clock have in common? Sadly, my life at times.
I recently went through Jennie Allen’s Chase Study and I was presented with the challenge to list three things in my life I’m chasing. Mine were peace, security, and accomplishment.
Chasing? Yep, that’s me. I’m like that crazy dog that runs after its own tail. It never catches it, just looks funny, and finally collapses – exhausted. 
Chasing? Sometimes I’m like an octopus with tentacles always reaching out in 8 different directions, chasing after a myriad of dreams.
Chasing? I’m that overwound clock where the hands are spinning so madly to make the time to accomplish my dreams… and then the inside coil pops.
Yes, I’m guilty of running in circles to chase my own tail. I’m guilty of chasing after all the dreams I long for and chasing after more time so I can finish well.
I’ve lived 22,841 days, spanning 3,263 weeks, and 750.4 months. Obviously, I have more days behind me than I do ahead of me. Not meaning to sound morbid, but it does bring a touch of anxiety and fear to my heart. It’s not the fact that someday I will die, that doesn’t bother me – absent from the body, present with the Lord. That part’s good for me. To be totally honest, it’s the LIVING that concerns me. I look at those numbers behind me and get anxious because there’s so much I’ve yet to accomplish. And so I chase those things that can be blown like chaff in the wind.
Each day is a gift from God. More than anything, I want to chase after God’s heart and live my life in the moment. It’s okay to make my plans for the future and have dreams, but I need to commit each moment to the only One who is already there–that changes the chase to seeking a heart of wisdom.
The most freeing thing I’ve done recently is to stop rewinding the crazy clock each day. Each morning I symbolically place myself on the seconds hand and say,
“Thank You, Lord, for this moment. May I see, hear, know, and proclaim You. I only want to move in the ways You will direct me. I’m tired of running in crazy circles and not following Your rhythm for my life.
My life and times are in Your hands.”
What about you? What are you chasing? Are you ready to stop rewinding the crazy clock and follow His rhythm for your life?
May the Lord help us to number our days, and to see each morning, each moment as a gift from Him. Each day is a clean slate. May He grant us the wisdom to know what to focus on daily and what’s not worth dwelling on. May the days, weeks and months that are ordained for each of us (whatever that number may be) be a legacy that speaks, “She gained a heart of wisdom and she shared it with others.”
To learn more about Jennie Allen’s Chase Study, go to http://www.jennieallen.com/studies/chase/
amen, totally get this sis.
Powerful message, Marsha. Unfortunately I have wasted already so much time on not important things. I still have dreams and want to accomplish things before my time is up, but I don’t want to chase/waste time any longer.
Love the analogies and writing style in this devotion.