A Different Zone

3rd March, 2010 - Posted by Nancy Winn -

One of the challenges we have working here in the US for this international ministry is to know what time it is in Kenya or the UK. I thought I had it figured out and then in November we changed our clocks here in Oregon and returned to Pacific Standard Time(PST). Prior to November we were ten hours behind Kenya and I could get up bright and early at 6am and call my Kenyan colleague at 4pm her time. Now, I am a morning person but since the time change I have not been willing to make the same call at 5am. Even we morning people have our limits! My new PST routine is to call at 9:30pm reaching the Kenya office as they begin their day (my Wednesday night is her Thursday morning).

The time difference to the UK is less severe. They are eight hours ahead. I can actually come into the office, settle down at my desk and call the UK at a civil 9am when I can talk to my work-from-home UK colleague before her supper hour.

Over the years I have taken for granted that most of the people I work with are in my time zone. So where am I going with this?

I think time zones can be a metaphor for those aspects of our life that we do not control but which define us none the less. Working with the time differences has given me lots of opportunities to practice being patient and considerate, to receive grace and to be gracious. I know that I will continue to be stretched. I suspect that that is part of God’s plan for me.

So, here’s to whatever zone you are in and looking forward to the day we will all be in God’s perfect zone.