The following is a poem by Henry Twells to be found in Chester Cathedral beneath a large clock:

Time's Paces

When I was a child and laughed and wept - Time crept.

When I was a youth I waxed more bold - Time strolled.

When I became a full grown man - Time ran.

When older still I daily grew - Time flew.

Soon I shall find I'm passing on - Time gone.

0 Christ! Will thou have saved me then? Amen.

Time is the most precious, second only to good health, gift in life. Time can be deceptive. Time needs to be managed. For we do not, in human terms have “forever”. The spontaneity of infancy, the boldness of youth, the growing time to maturity are all too soon behind us and as time flies by we settle for defying time perhaps. So how do we use time? Remember we all live, whether we acknowledge it or not, in God's time. The great new-age mantra of “having time for oneself” needs to be carefully balanced with the understanding that time is not ours alone.

For everything (under the sun) there is a season and it is well known that the climate in Spring and Summer control the glories

of Autumn. Too often we find out too late that the accuracy of Berlioz' comment “Time is a great teacher. Unfortunately it kills all its pupils.” This reality that we only have a certain span of years need not be a source of fear and anxiety, but a spur to manage our God-given time in such a way as to be able to lay down our earthly life with grace, courage and a sense of fulfilment.

Managing time, by learning to give of yourself to God the Creator first, to others second and then with good management to oneself is the pattern for good time management. Time spent with God will lead in the direction he wants us to go. When we are faced with decisions it isn't what we decide, what job to apply for, what house to buy, it's the act of deciding which moves us on in time.

Using Time for others means getting used to a psychology of giving without expecting anything in return. People will take and not always reciprocate. But to live a life furthering our own causes means a living death.

Using the balance of Time for ourselves does not mean becoming a couch potato or of living a hedonistic life style. It means being open to uplifting and new experiences, learning more about our heritage while at the same time being open to present challenges.

Time is for living but too often we lose track of time, waste time, killing time and it is only in the tears of those we leave behind that we see the lost spontaneity of childhood, the forgotten boldness of youth, the lack of growth to maturity that so often is squandered until only the discontentedness of old age is remembered.

We all at Remembrance Tide reflect on so many known and unknown who never had a full-time of living. Cut off in the boldness of youth, for us.

This November 2003 sees on 22 nd November the 40 th anniversary of the assassination of John F Kennedy, President of the United States of America . In, I believe, the definitive Biography entitled John F Kennedy, An Unfinished Life by Robert Dallek we see that it isn't our span of years, the length of our days that counts, it's how we spend our Time that's the important factor.

Lorna Wood