There are many paths to take in life. Every day we face minor decisions that may make major changes in our future. Sometimes for reasons only known to God, we are set on paths without any conscious reasoning of our own.
When my mother was in her early twenties, she met a young man who was everything she thought she wanted in her life. Although their acquaintance was of short duration, they both felt the impact of their meeting and wondered and hoped about their future and prayed it would find them together happily.
It was war time in Germany and people passed in and out of each other’s lives rapidly. Some kept in contact and others were lost in the shuffle of global disarray. My mother’s young man was due to leave within days of their meeting. There was sorrow on both parts but a desire to keep in touch and look for more settled days together. Their last few hours were spent window shopping, walking, talking, and holding hands, trying to make the minutes stretch into more than mere time.
The evening rapidly came to a close. The young man had to take the ten o’clock train out of town in the morning. As they said good night, he said he didn’t want to have my mother commit herself to a relationship on such short acquaintance. He and she both knew that although the time together had been short, their hearts felt differently. As she left, he said that if she was serious, please come to see him off at the train station the next morning at ten. If she wasn’t there, he would understand and never attempt to make contact with her again.
My mother hardly slept at first but the events of the last few days and the mental anguish pushed her from spiritual exhaustion into a deep sleep that was much needed. She awoke the next morning and was shocked to see that it was already after nine o’clock. She hurriedly washed, dressed and almost ran to the train station, knowing that seeing her there would announce her decision to the young man.
She happily arrived with fifteen minutes to spare. Thee was no waiting train, no travelers with bags on the platform and no young man. She checked the timetable and confirmed that there was a train leaving at ten. Just then a porter came by and she inquired about the train. He confirmed that, indeed, there had been a train leaving at ten. In shock, my mother showed him her watch which clearly indicated time to spare before the hour. He patted her hand and chuckled as he informed her that daylight savings had gone into effect at midnight.
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