Then God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years, and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth.
(Genesis 1:14-15)
You don’t need light, Lord, for you are Light. Still, you order the world into “fixed times,” – days and nights, seasons, years – because we who are finite need measures and limits in order to remember and plan.
A child born in winter may notice that the earth is cold and barren, but he doesn’t know yet that spring will bring warmth and color. By the time that child is three, he might assert, “But this is the way we always do it.” He has developed a memory and the ability to compare.
When we come home to you, we will no longer require boundaries. For now, help us to know the difference between borders and barriers. How can I use this time and these circumstances to serve you? I will make at least one phone call and write at least one letter. Please remind me and push me. Thy will be done.