LISTENING TO THE CLOCK

Season 1, Episode 5 — Listening to the Clock

Time is always speaking. The question is whether we’re listening. In this episode, Pastor Charles Howse explores how seasons, delays, opportunities, and transitions often reveal more than the passing of minutes. Sometimes the clock isn’t counting against us—it’s teaching us, preparing us, and reminding us that every season has a purpose.

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Hey, if life has got you in a bit of a pit right now, if you feel like the walls are closing in just a little, stay with me for the next few minutes. I want to talk to you. Welcome to The Tension Where Truth Lives. I'm Pastor Charles Howes, and I am so glad you're here. Before we dive into the deep end today, I want to ask a small favor of you. If you enjoy these conversations, or if you think someone in your life might benefit from hearing this today, take a quick moment and share this episode. It really helps us reach people who need it. Today we're continuing season one with episode five. I want to talk about something that's been sitting heavy on my mind lately. It's not something I found in a textbook or a trendy self-help blog. It's not because a doctor gave me a stern warning or because I'm following some new philosophy. Honestly, life just has a way of bringing certain conversations right to your doorstep, doesn't it? A few weeks ago, I found myself sitting in the quiet thinking about something I never really gave much thought to when I was younger. I'm talking about time, not the time on your watch. Not what time I need to get off work or what time the next appointment starts. I mean time itself, the substance of it. Because somewhere along the way, I had a realization that shook me a bit. I realized that I may very well have more life behind me than I have in front of me. Now, if you're 25 years old listening to this, that might not mean much to you yet. At 25, you feel like you have an infinite supply of some days. But if you're 58 like me, or 63, or 70, or maybe even 45, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Something shifts in your spirit. The clock starts sounding different. It's not a TikTok anymore, it's a heartbeat. When I was younger, I thought mostly about what I wanted to do with my life. I was focused on the what? What house? What car? What career. But now I find myself thinking about what I still need to do. The focus has shifted from ambition to legacy and health. I think about the people I love. I think about my health, my finances, and my relationships. I think about the things I've been putting off, telling myself I'd get around to them eventually. But someday starts feeling a lot different when you realize it doesn't last forever. It's like a bank account where you don't know the balance, but you know you've been withdrawing for a long time. Here is what I've discovered in this season of my life. The older we get, the less interested we become in wasting time. We lose our appetite for unnecessary drama and meaningless arguments. We don't want to spend years doing things that just don't matter in the grand scheme of things. We start asking different questions, don't we? We ask, what is actually important here? We ask, what is worth my energy? And what is worth my precious attention? We start wondering what kind of life we want to live with the specific amount of time we have left. And I know I'm not alone in this. I think there are people listening right now from an office, or maybe you're behind the wheel of a truck, or sitting in a hospital waiting room, maybe you're in an Uber or on a factory floor or just sitting in your living room. You might even be halfway around the world, but you've been asking these same heavy questions. It's not because you're giving up, it's not because you're depressed or afraid of the future, it's because you're becoming aware. You're waking up to the fact that time is your most valuable currency. You're aware that life moves quickly, faster than we ever imagined when we were kids. You're aware that every year becomes more precious than the one that came before it. And maybe, just maybe, that's not bad news. Maybe that's what wisdom feels like. Maybe the day you realize your time is limited isn't the day life gets smaller or more restrictive. Maybe it's actually the day life gets clearer. That's where the tension lives, right? Because time doesn't just ask what you're doing with your hands, it asks who you're becoming in your heart. I met a man last month who really drove this point home for me. He was in his early 70s, recently retired from the same manufacturing plant after 42 long years of service. He told me something I'll never forget. He said he spent the first 20 years trying to get promoted, and he spent the next 20 years just trying to find a way to get out. He said the strangest thing happened the day he finally retired. The calendar went blank. At first he told me, it felt like absolute freedom. He could do anything he wanted at any time, but then that freedom turned into fear. Because when nobody is telling you where to be or what to do, you have to decide for yourself what actually matters. You have to face yourself. He looked at me and said, Pastor Howes, I spent my whole life being on time for things that didn't make me on time for my life. Let that sink in for a second. Being on time for things that didn't make him on time for his life. That line has been echoing in my head for weeks. It's the ultimate trap of the modern world, isn't it? We fill up our calendars until there's no white space left. But in the process, we empty out our years. We are incredibly punctual for meetings with people who barely know our names. Yet we are chronically late for our marriages. We are early for work every single day, but we are completely absent for our kids' milestones because we're too busy providing. We are busy for everyone else, the boss, the neighbor, the committee, and yet we are totally unavailable for ourselves. And the clock? And the the clock doesn't care about our excuses, the clock doesn't pause while you figure it out. It doesn't wait for you to find yourself, it just keeps making that sound. Tick. Tick tick is relentless and is honest. So let me ask you today, if this is hitting you, if you feel that internal nudge, what are you waiting for? If you've been living on outrage and you're just tired, I want to hear from you. Seriously, send me a message, leave a comment. Tell me about a time you caught yourself labeling someone, or perhaps a time you realized you were missing your own life while being busy. What happened when you actually stop to see the person in front of you? Your story might be the very thing that breaks somebody else's cycle or removes a label they've been carrying. Who knows? Maybe we'll even share your story in a future episode to help someone else navigate this tension. I truly believe our shared experiences are where the most growth happens. I want to say thank you. Seriously, thank you for spending these minutes with me today. I know how busy life is, and I don't take your time for granted for one single second. I know you could be listening to literally anything right now music, news, another podcast, but you chose to sit in the tension with me. That means a lot, it really does. So do me a favor. Share this with somebody who needs it today. Maybe it's someone who's tired of the noise, or someone who needs to remember that the parking lot wasn't angry. I'm Pastor Charles Howes, and this has been The Tension Where Truth Lives, season one, episode four. I want to encourage you as you go about your day today. Until next time, keep listening, keep learning. Most importantly, keep looking for that place where truth lives, because truth has a way of showing up right there in the tension. I'll talk to you soon. Take a deep breath. Look at the people you love. Be on time for your life today. It's the only one you've got, and it's happening right now. Think about that man at the factory. Think about his blank calendar. Don't wait until the calendar is empty to start filling your life with things that actually matter. Start today. Maybe it's a phone call you've been avoiding. Maybe it's a walk you've been meaning to take. Whatever it is, don't let the clock win by default. Reclaim those minutes. I've spent a lot of my 58 years chasing things that didn't love me back. I'm learning just like you, to lean into the things that do. It's a journey, isn't it? A long, beautiful journey, and sometimes the road is bumpy. Sometimes we lose our way. But as long as we're breathing, we have the opportunity to get on time for the things that count. I'm rooting for you. Remember, the tension isn't a sign that something is wrong. It's often a sign that truth is trying to break through. So don't run from it. Sit with it. Listen to what it's telling you. Whether you're in that truck, that office, or that living room, know that you're not alone in this. We're all trying to figure out how to make our time count. We're in this together. I'll be back soon with more conversations. Until then, stay mindful, stay kind, and stay present. Your life is waiting for you to show up. Don't keep it waiting any longer. Peace be with you. I'm signing off for now, but the conversation doesn't have to end here. Keep the dialogue going in your own circles. I'll talk to you in the next one. One last thing. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the clock, just remember, you can't manage time. You can only manage yourself within it. Focus on the who, not just the when. God bless, and I'll catch you on the next episode of The Tension Where Truth Lives. It's been a pleasure sharing this space with you. Goodbye for now. Actually, let me add one more thought before I go. I was thinking about that on time phrase again. It's funny how we pride ourselves on being punctual for a 9 a.m. meeting. We'll speed through traffic, get stressed out, and yell at other drivers just to make sure we're in a chair by 9. But when was the last time we rushed to be present for a sunset? When was the last time we felt that same urgency to sit down and really listen to our spouse tell us about their day? We treat the important things like chores and the urgent things like gods. The secret to a meaningful life might just be flipping that script. It's about making the important things urgent. It's about realizing that a hug from your child is more urgent than an email. It's about understanding that your mental peace is more urgent than a promotion. If we can start to see time through that lens, everything changes. The pressure starts to lift. We stop racing against the clock and start walking with it. It's a much better pace, believe me. I'm still practicing it every day, and some days I fail, but the effort is worth it. So as you step out of this podcast and back into your world, try to find one thing today that is important but not urgent, and give it your full attention. Just one thing. See how it feels to be on time for your life in that moment. I think you'll find it's the most rewarding appointment you'll keep all week. Alright, I'm truly going now. Take care. Wait, I just realized I didn't mention the parking lot story again. You know, I once saw a man lose his mind over a parking spot. He was so angry, so consumed by that tiny moment, and I thought to myself, is this how he wants to spend his precious minutes? The parking lot wasn't angry. He was. The situation was neutral, but his reaction cost him his peace. Don't let the parking lots of life steal your time. They aren't worth it. Keep your peace, keep your time, and keep your heart focused on what lasts. Okay, now I'm really done talking.