Church Bells

I love the sound of the church bells that ring in our old town every day.  I wonder if they're ringing to call the faithful to worship or if they're ringing to announce the death of a church member (the "passing bell" --one stroke for each year of life.) Maybe it's in celebration of a couple that has just united in the marriage covenant or the start of a new day of school. Whatever it may be, the bells cadence makes me stop and meditate that time is passing. It breaks into the mundane tasks of my life and reminds me of an earlier century, that I have only read about and wished I had gotten to experience. It reminds me that what I am doing right now will end all too soon, as the seasons come and go. So, as I pause at the sound, a smile spreads across my face and I continue on in the tasks that God has called me to, in this time and place.