I just realized that summer is now over. Where in the world did it go?

In fact, that is a very good question. Where does the summer go when it leaves? Is there some place that summer, winter, spring and fall go to chill out? When they get there, what in the world are they doing?

Someone suggested, and I will not divulge any names only to say they live in the same residence I do, that as a person gets older time goes faster. I absolutely resemble that comment.

This past week I finally adjusted myself to my summertime schedule. I do not know about anybody else, but it takes me a long time to get into a new schedule.

While I am thinking about it, who in the world invented these seasons? Why didn’t they let a good thing go? I would much have preferred that we simply divide our time by day or night. If it is dark, for example, it has to be night. And, if the sun is up and it is shining and bright, it must be day. I could live with something like that. At least I would know what time it really was.

I was actually wallowing in a hopeless spirit of despondency. What is a person to do?

Then something rather strange happened. One of my friends was playing football and his first game was on a Saturday morning. I thought maybe the distraction might cheer me up a little bit and encourage me to keep on keeping on.

I cannot remember the last time I was at a football game. Of course that does not mean too much, I cannot remember what I had for lunch yesterday. It was good to get into a different venue, and air out my soul.

Then it hit me. No, not the football, although that might have helped to a certain degree. But a thought hit me, which is just about as rare as being hit by a football at a football game.

I had just gotten into the spirit of watching the game when all of a sudden I heard a whistle and a coach yelled, “Timeout.” At that moment everything stopped. I looked at the clock on the scoreboard and it had stopped. I had forgotten about this little quirk in football.

The clock did not start and the game did not commence until the coach yelled, “play ball.” Or something to that effect.

That got me thinking. If they can do that for football, why can’t we do that for life? After all, life is far more important than a football game. Who is that coach that yells, “Timeout,” and everybody stops? What kind of authority does he have?

We need to bring this kind of thinking into life in general. It seems to me that everything in life is thought out in great detail except actually living life. Football has been well thought out and is comprised of rules and regulations. Baseball the same. Hockey… Well maybe not so much hockey. Most games are well thought out, have rules to live by, and if something isn’t going the way it is supposed to go, the coach has the privilege of yelling “Timeout.”

How many times could I have used this little rule in my life?

Wouldn’t it be nice to stop life when you have made an inappropriate remark, maybe you said something to your wife that came out the wrong side of your mouth. I have done that many a times. I think it would be rather nice if when I realize what I have just said, to be able to yell “Timeout.” Then do it over again.

The other day one of my checks from my checking account bounced. That would have been a perfect time to yell “timeout” and redo the whole thing.

There are so many things in life that could benefit from this one little thing called “timeout.” I suggest that we began implementing this into our daily life. After all, our daily life is much more important than a football game, a hockey game, or a baseball game. I think whenever something goes awry we should have the privilege to stop it right in its tracks and do it over again. It does not matter how many times we have to do it over again, we continue doing it over until we get it right.

It would make life more exciting if I knew that if I made a mistake I could call “Timeout,” do a do-over, and make everything right.

I think we need to have a very stern conversation with good old Father Time. He is so much a stickler for time marching on. But sometimes you get tired of marching and need to sit down and take a breather. Then sometimes, you need to change the direction in which you are marching. It is not so bad the time marches on but when it needs to turn around and march the other way that is a completely different story.

In thinking further along this line, I discovered God already has a “Timeout” plan. I found it in 1 John 1:9(KJV), “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

With this in mind, I certainly want to take full advantage of God’s “Timeout” plan.