TIME, YOU CAN'T CONTROL IT, BUT YOU CAN LEARN FROM IT

 

MANKIND’S LONGING TO CONTROL TIME

He has made everything beautiful in its time.
Also, He has put eternity into man’s heart,
yet so that he cannot find out what
God has done from the beginning to the end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Mankind has longed to be able to control time. Books have been written about it. Movies have been made about it. Super-heroes have been created with power to do it. Several TV series have been produced exploring it. And most of us at one time or another have wished that we could go back in time and undo something we did, said, or do or say something we should have done or said. We can measure it, but we can not control it. Time relentlessly marches on – and along with it, we grow, we age, and we die. If, however, you believe some cosmetic companies, we can “slow the ageing the process” (if we would just use their brand of face-cream). Yet, we cannot stop time, reverse time, speed up time, or slow it down. Philosophers postulate about it. Theologians marvel at it. Historians revel in it. Impatient young children complain about it taking so long. The elderly complain that it went so quick. We are all subjected to it, but why? Why would the Creator have created it, and then subjected each of us to it? Is it a result of the Fall? Is it a curse? Since God created it, is He Himself now subject to it? If you have ever wondered about time and how cruel it can at times appear to be, then read on friend.

The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
Psalm 90:10

 

WHY WE CAN NOT CONTROL TIME

Before clocks were invented, people did not view time like we do today. At sun rise it was time to rise. When the sun was as high as it was going to get, it was midday. When the sun began to set, it was time to stop working. When the sun set, it was dinner time. And shortly after it was dark it time for bed. Even in ancient times sun-dials were used as a way to see where the sun was in the sky without having to stare directly at it (one is mentioned in Isaiah 38:8). 

The original indoor clocks were pendulum and springs. They were not particularly reliable or accurate. Then, in the sixteenth century, smaller versions were invented without the need for a pendulum and could fit comfortably in a gentleman’s pocket. This then paved the way for the invention of the wrist watch around the time that the industrial age was in full swing (around 1868). In 1960 the first quartz watch was invented doing away with the need for winding and springs. These quartz watches are still the most accurate time-pieces available to ordinary people. From then, wrist watches (and electronic quartz clocks) became increasingly more sophisticated and able to measure time in smaller and smaller increments. In 2019, the Swiss watch maker, Patek Philippe, created a two-sided gentleman’s wrist watch that sold for $US31,000,000! It is fair to say that the buyer was a little obsessive about the quality and precision of his time-keeping.

The most expensive wrist watch ever sold.

Despite our increasingly precise ability to measure time, we are still unable to control it. In a culture that demands god-like control over every aspect our lives, our complete inability to control time is one of mankind’s greatest enigmas and frustrations. Our ability to measure it in such finely small increments and to always be aware of it by looking at our wrists – or the devices in our pockets – only adds to frustration that it is slipping by without paying any intention to our desire to let us control it!

Time is a sequence of unchanging events. This means that time is ordained and therefore what has happened has actually and really and finally happened. This is why the notion of being able to travel back in time is fanciful.

WHY WE ALL FIND TIME FRUSTRATING

“I just wish I had more time!” “I just wish we had more time together.” Our inability to control or even tame time reminds us that we are not all-powerful. In that sense, time almost mocks us all and certainly causes us to realise that any frustration we feel about its consistent and unchanging nature is a reminder that we are subjects to it — or more precisely — to the One who created it for us to inhabit for a very very good reason. The unchangeable nature of time deprives us from going back in time to the moment of our greatest (and perhaps most secret) sins or mistakes and preventing them, thus denying us the power of removing our unbearable burden of guilt and shame. 

Remember how short my time is!
For what vanity you have created all the children of man!
What man can live and never see death?
Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah
Psalm 89:47-48

 

GOD’S RELATIONSHIP TO TIME

We sometimes refer to God as being outside time. Philosophical theologians refer to two theories about God’s relationship to time: the ‘A’ Theory of Time and the ‘B’ Theory of Time. In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis described God’s relationship with time like the reader to a book. He referred to God as being outside of the book who is able to turn to any page of that book at any time. This, in Lewis’s mind, is how one might explain God’s intimate knowledge of the future and His ability to reveal it to those who are yet to witness or experience it. This is known as the B-Theory of Time. But most theologians take issue with Lewis and argue that it is not because the future has already happened that God knows what it holds, it is rather because the future has not yet happened and yet God can still declare it through His prophets – that we know that God is omniscient (He knows all things –  even those things that will be). This is known as the A-Theory of Time.

¶ “Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, you transgressors,
remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
Isaiah 46:8-10

When God created our material world and its dimension of time, He entered into it. From the moment of creation, which is described in the opening chapter of Genesis, as taking God six “days” (with each day having an evening and morning) and then resting from creating on the “seventh day” (which God is still in since it is not ascribed an evening and morning, Gen. 2:4). And to put beyond any doubt that God has entered into our dimension of time, consider the first Christmas when the Creator Himself, the eternal Son of God, became a zygote who, over time, grew into the Son of Man prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14. Christ, subjected Himself to time and conquered its fatal sting.

 

GOD’S GIFT OF TIME TO EACH OF US

We live in a fast paced world. We expect things to happen quickly. None of us like to be kept waiting. Even when we order something online we expect it delivered straight away. Some of us having to work two or even three jobs just to be able to pay the bills. We describe ourselves as time-poor. Yet, we all get twenty-four-hours in a day. Sixty-minutes in an hour. And sixty-seconds in a minute. Most of us need to adjust how we see, understand, and treat our time. This will involve, what will be for some, adopting a foreign and largely unaccustomed view of time that involves worship, sabbath, and deepening relationships. From this biblical perspective we will come to see time as a gift from God, not a curse, or source of frustration. Within this gift of time God teaches us how to worship in those times when it is difficult to do so. Rather than thinking this divine gift of time is ours to do with what ever we want, God uses this gift to teach us that we should gift it back to Him beginning with (but not limited to) treating Sunday as a sabbath to come together to recommit our hearts, voices, minds, and presence with God’s people, back to God. God gives us passing time to learn to deepen relationships – especially with our kin, and our friends. Time is meant for relationship building. 

¶ So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12

 

WHEN TIME AS WE KNOW IT WILL ONE DAY END

But this gift of time will one day come to end – not just for each of us individually – but once and for all.

For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son
and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:40

The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words has a judge;
the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
John 12:48

God dwells in a dimension that I refer to as eternity. The Triune God is the only being who inhabits this dimension. But when He created the Heavenly realm, and populated it with magnificent heavenly creatures. These beings then dwelt in His presence in yet another dimension (we might refer to super- or supra-time). In this supra-time dimension these heavenly beings do not age or grow. The Triune God created this dimension for His heavenly family in a way that some of these heavenly creatures could enter into our dimension of time.

And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God,
and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
Luke 1:19

After the “last day”, we will all be resurrected. The righteous, those who have surrendered their lives to God’s gracious offer of forgiveness and adoption, will be resurrected into eternal-life and enjoy their existence forever with the Triune God in a new dimension that God had planned from the beginning of the world. For in that coming new eternal dimension we will truly worship, truly rest, and truly love everyone of fellow redeemed. In the meantime, the gift of time that He has given to each of us in this dimension is designed by our Heavenly Father to teach and prepare us for it. See you this Sunday.

Rev. 21:1 ¶ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. Rev. 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Rev. 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. Rev. 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Rev. 21:5 ¶ And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Your Pastor,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.

IN LIGHT OF ETERNITY

Do you remember the biggest problem you faced when you were 9 years-old? Unless you had a traumatic event take place at that time, chances are that you can’t. The problems that we had to deal with when we were children seemed enormous at the time and probably resulted in many frustrating tears. But years later, looking back, they more than likely now look either trivial or long-forgotten. Actually, you probably don’t even have to try and recollect back to your childhood to now see the problems you had just a few years or even months ago in a different light which now makes them look a lot smaller than they appeared at the time. The passage of time tends to give us a different perspective on life and our priorities.

¶ I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
Psalm 37:25

TAKING A LONG-TERM VIEW

It’s difficult when you’re young to think too much about the future. When we’re young we tend to focus on the now. On the other hand, when you’re old it’s too easy to look back over the years of your youth with a host of “If only” regrets. If only I’d…saved my money…listened to my parents…gone to university…said yes…said no…not eaten so much…learned the piano…made more time with those I care about… You can tell when a person has become wise by how they regard their future. A wise person will always take a long-term view of their life. It’s not that they don’t make mistakes now, or even seem to waste time or money occasionally. A wise person takes a long-term view of their life and adjusts their perspective on their present challenges accordingly.

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
Proverbs 21:5

LIFE IS SHORT

The other week I saw a childhood schoolfriend of one of my children whom I hadn’t seen for quite a while. Four days or so after I had seen him I received a phone call from one of his other friends that on the weekend their mutual schoolfriend had been killed in an horrific accident. Today, someone came to see me to tell of a friend of theirs whose child had committed suicide this week. Both of these lives ended tragically and prematurely. When we say, “Life is short” –  it’s easy to think of such youthful tragedies. But the reality is, everyone’s life is short!

F.W. Boreham in 1908 in Hobart Baptist Church where he was the pastor

My hero, F.W. Boreham, was fond of writing in series. He wrote a five volume series on Texts That Changed The World that became a best-seller and still inspires millions of people even today. When he turned 40, he began to write a series in which the first instalment was entitled, On Turning Forty. He wrote the second instalment when he turned 50. He wrote the third when he turned 60. He wrote the fourth when he turned 70, and he wrote his last when he turned 80. As he got older he increased his reflections on some of his regrets. Even though he was one of the world’s most acclaimed preachers and Christian authors – whose books have possibly led thousands to Christ – he said that he had one big regret toward the end of his life and career as a preacher. “I did not preach enough about God!” he lamented. To be sure, he had preached about God’s deeds and acts, the attributes of God’s grace and love, and other peripheral topics associated with the doctrine of God, but he felt great sorrow that he had not preached more about God himself! If only, he said, if only I had presented God for who He truly is then surely more people would have come to see Him as the most beautiful being in the universe whose magnificence and wonderfulness would melt the hardest heart and soften the most resistant. His regret spurs me on to make sure that I know who God truly is and love Him for who He truly is and serve Him because He is who He is. And I daren’t waste a moment in this holy quest because life is short.

¶ A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
Isaiah 40:6-7

 

IN THE END

As F.W. Boreham approached the end of his life, he longed to know God more richly and deeply. This was also the quest of the apostle Paul as he approached his end. He wrote to the Philippians from a jail cell. Even though it appears that he held out hope for an early release from his imprisonment after he was to be brought before Caesar, this hope was not realised.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.
Philippians 3:8-10

“That I may know Him!” Fancy that! The apostle who was struck from his horse by the radiant glory of Christ while on the Persecutor’s Road to Damascus; the apostle whom the resurrected Christ appeared to in a vision and spoke directly to him (Acts 18:9-10); the apostle whom Christ used to raise people from the dead and to heal many people miraculously; and, the apostle who testifies that he was caught up to heaven and saw things too wonderful to reveal — this apostle gets toward the end of his life and states that he doesn’t yet know Christ the way he should! This apostle, the apostle Paul, toward the end of his life begins to see his life and his troubles in the light of eternity. And I am thus assured that in this light many of the problems that we face today will fade from our gaze and vanish as we fix our eyes on the Source of eternity’s Light.

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
Matthew 16:26

 

Your pastor,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.

THE HABITS OF BORING BUT EFFECTIVE PEOPLE

"But He would often withdraw to desolate places and pray."
Luke 5:16

Exciting people claim to detest routine and habitual behaviour. They thumb their noses over their sidewalk skinny decaf soy lattés at those boring people whose lives are regulated by such plain things as habits. But, on behalf of the boring people of this world, I feel it is time to offer a defence of habits and say something positive on behalf of its boring cousin: routines. You see, Habits and its cousin Routines have saved my life more than once. I have them to thank for my amazement that I can get anything done.

¶ Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.John 6:15

Jesus had two outstanding habits. He often went out by Himself to pray. Dr Luke tells us that He often went out at night to pray to His Father all night. Jesus made spiritual disciplines a habit. From about the age of 15, over these past 35 years I have tried to copy Christ's practice of making certain spiritual disciplines a habit. I honestly cannot recall a day in my life in all that time when I have neglected the habit of reading Scripture. I confess, there have been times when I have practiced this spiritual discipline because it was a habit rather than for more noble reasons. But I can also say that in not just a times I have received delightful illumination that has nourished both my soul and mind.

"Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place."
John 5:13

Christ's other notable habit was to withdraw when He was crowded. Jesus made it a habit to be alone. He didn't build His identity or worth on what the crowds thought about Him. (I wonder if Jesus would have had a Facebook account if it was available then?) The Son of God withdrew when crowded by people to be alone, but not just alone - alone with His Father. This is a great habit to develop for those who feel their emotions are somehow determined by others.

DANIEL AND HOME

In the account of Daniel we learn that this exiled statesman developed habits which were well known. He habitually prayed. "Habitually" means that he adopted a certain place and a certain time to pray. His enemies knew it and attempted to use it for their advantage. This of course led to Daniel being thrown into the lions' den. But even with knowledge of this threat, Daniel maintained his habit of prayer - in public view (in front of his window!).

¶ When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
Daniel 6:10

I have a habit of Bible reading as a first thing in the morning practice. I have a habit of praying when I move. If you ever embark on a car trip with the Corbetts, you'll discover that we have a habit that we always practice (you'll have to ask my children what that is). The other day, my 22 year old son came home from University. He got in our family car and immediately initiated our family habit. 

At our family dinner we continue to welcome Habits into our home along with its cousin. In fact, we have made Routine an adopted member of our family! Each night at 6PM, Kim has our family dinner on our dining table. Our family assembles. We hold hands and give thanks to God for our food and blessings, and ask Him to provide for our sponsor children. Then we eat. Bt while we're eating we have Habits remind us of its presence at our dinner table. We then answer then 'the question of the day'. (If you're familiar with our Romans Bible Studies you will see that we have included many of our family's questions of the day at the start of each of these Bible Studies.) 

BAD HABITS

The New Testament warns against bad habits. One in particular the writer of the Hebrews raises where he states that some believers had developed the habit of neglecting to assemble on Sunday for the church meeting. Conversely, he reminds his readers that attending church each Sunday was a spiritually good habit because it resulted in strengthening, encouraging, and ministry. He seems to say that some had made it a habit to neglect church because they were ruled by their feelings, whims, and energy levels - rather than by doing what was right. Attending church because we love Jesus and want to love what He loves is the noblest motive for church attendance, but attending it because its a good habit is commended by Scripture.

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:25

Jesus habitually withdrew when corwded in - but He habitally went to the synagogue each Sabbath to worship with God's people - even when that Synagogue was full of people who wanted to kill Him! (Luke 4:28-29) To follow Christ is to form the habit of attending church each week. 

Good habits save you time (putting your keys in a regular place). Good routines save your life (washing your hands before eating, brushing your teeth after meals). The Bible encourages both. The Scriptures offer examples who developed good habits of prayer, Bible reading, and corporate worship. 

As many of you know, I have a lot of demands upon my time: a live weekly radio program; production of a weekly audio podcast; a major sermon each week; an article each week; the producing of a documentary on FW Boreham; supervising dozens of Bible school students undertaking their diplomas and degrees; organising the Tasmanian tour of Dr Hugh Ross; coordinating the Launceston Easter Community Festival; hosting the Bass Meet Your Candidate Forum; managing105.3WayFM; pastoring our church; being involved in junior tennis development in Tasmania; completing a graduate course in Biblical Greek; and consulting to various organisations. The only way I can manage each of these is by developing habits and routines. The only way. 

"But Habits and Routines are boring!" you scoff. "Yes they are", I might reply. But sometimes 'boring' looks good compared to the ups and downs of trying to be "random" / "spontaneous" / "exciting". As Warren Buffett said, his method of saving and investing his money was way too boring for most people. Warren Buffett recently retired with a net worth of $60Billion! I think there is a similar spiritual application. It might be 'boring' to develop the habit of daily reading your Bible. But it will build the wealth of your soul. The routine of taking time to pray each day might seem to be tedious and dull, but it's what our Lord did and it too will add wealth to your spiritual bank account. This is why I say "Thank you" to everyone who compliments me with the accolade, "You're boring!" Of course, not everything I do is "boring". I'd like to say more about this, but I have to meet Bert at a routine meeting of The Button Collectors' Club so I'll just leave you at this point of exciting suspense in our conversation. 

Ps. Andrew

Redeeming The Time

I was marvelling recently about how much the 74 year old F.W. Boreham did. Not only did he preach at least twice a week, he wrote a weekly column for the Melbourne Age Newspaper, the Hobart Mercury, produced a book a year, was a regular contributor to at least six monthly journals or periodicals, read a book a week, and made pastoral house-calls four afternoons a week. I'm staggered at his output. But then again, I swim in a culture of 24/7 social-media, 16 Free-to-air television channels, several million YouTube videos, several billion webpages, and what seems like hundreds of (mostly trivial) emails everyday - which all seem to hinder me from using my time well. Even with all my technological "time-saving" devices, I doubt that I get a fraction done of what people a generation ago achieved. Nevertheless, even though I struggle, there is hope.

making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:16

THE VALUE OF TIME

Leading up to Christmas, some dear folk asked me what I would like for Christmas. Under pressure to keep up with the demands on my time, the first thing that came to mind, but not past my lips, was, "More time!"  Knowing I will never get more time, I am left to pray what the Scriptures tell me to do - redeem the time. Some prayers are not meant to be prayed but this one is!

Time is the most precious gift we each have. It is so precious that it is virtually equated with our very lives. To give your life to someone is to give your time to them. When you think you've just told someone, "I love you" but then won't give them your time, you've actually told them something other than what you think they heard from you. It's why attending, weddings, birthdays, funerals and church is so important.

¶ Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
Colossians 4:5

USE OF TIME

Have you ever wasted time? Whether you have or haven't is determined by answering the should question. With the time that you have what should you be doing? If your answer is other than what you should be doing then your answer might be describing what wasting time looks like. And this is where I encounter many of my problems with time. When I should do something, but really really really don't want to, I find things that urgently require my attention. I find them. They are not all ignoble. But they successfully occupy my time when I should be doing something else.

Should not only guides my daily moments, it also my lifetime. However I answer the why, what, how and where questions that should asks, I know that the answer will involve my use of time. But to satisfy should my answer cannot merely involve the use of my time - it must involve the disciplined use of my time. But still should is not entirely satisfied with this painful answer. Then I realise why. It can not merely be the disciplined use of my time that will ensure I use my time to fulfil my purpose the way God has wired and called me to do in the place and time that He has called me to do it - it has to be the self-disciplined use of my time.

From my observations of people who seem to manage pressure, and therefore time, well, I notice that they are able to withdraw from their time-bank when they need to. This of course means that they have made adequate deposits into it. In other words, they invest their time well. Reading a book, watching a movie, having a coffee with a colleague, going for a walk, throwing a ball with your son, taking your wife out to dinner, might seem like a waste of time, but they might also be investments of time. The Bible doesn't use the wordinvestment but it does use a three-letter word which means the same thing.

WHAT TIME CANNOT DO

'Time heals all wounds'...'In time you'll get over it'...'Time to move on'... 'What happened in the past should be left in the past'... Myths like these are nearly always half-truths. Time does not heal all wounds - but time used wisely can help wounds to heal. In time you won't get over it unless you learn to grieve and forgive properly over time. When it's time to move on you will already have because you've aligned yourself with reality and surrendered to God's sovereignty. What happened in the past should not be left in the past if gross injustice is involved (such as a World War II Nazi war criminal should be brought to justice despite the decades that have passed). We could add to this list. A supplier may forget to invoice a client and when their oversight is discovered they invoice their client - who then claims that they have no right to expect payment because too much time has elapsed (another version of What happens in the past should be left in the past).

Considering the Master of Time, Jesus, who never wasted a second but perfectly used the time He was given, we see that He regarded those things which we usually regard as 'interruptions' as: 'Sovereign Appointments'. A few years ago I began to learn this. People are not always interruptions. Highly task driven people struggle to appreciate this. The next time you read through the Gospels, take note of how much of what Christ did was as a result of an interruption. Not all interruptions are a waste of time.

SOW WHAT

¶ The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Second Corinthians 9:6

I haven't discovered everything I need to know about how to best use my time. I'm aware that there are some people who have little choice in how their time is used (whether through physical injury/disability, consequences of unwise choices, or stage of life issues). But for those of us who have the gift of time and the privilege to manage it within the constraints of our responsibilities, there are five things you might find helpful about increasing the value of your time: Create To-Do lists; Carry time-redeemers with you (book, pen and notepad, etc); Get appropriate help; Establish routines; and: Learn to forgive (bitterness steals valuable time from you).

One of the biggest lessons I have learned about increasing the effectiveness of my time is to sow it into God. I said from the outset that because time is one of our most valuable gifts, when we give it to someone we are saying something to them about how valuable they are to us. When a husband agrees to spend time with his wife and her friends he is telling his wife that he loves her and values her judgment. 

When a follower of Christ spends time with those for whom Christ died and lives dearly they are telling Christ that they love Him. But mysteriously, it seems that such time is not merely spending time - it's sowingtime. I have committed my life to Christ and being in His House with His people every Sunday at both services - because I want to love Jesus by loving what He loves. The result of this time-sowing seems to be time-reaping. Thus, I may not be as self-disciplined with my time as I hope to become, but this time-sowing principle has least given me the opportunity to begin to redeem the time that God has given me. And one day, you and I will stand before God in real-time and give an account of how we used our most valuable gift from Him: our life. And it is my hope that we can experience the best our Creator has for us in eternity because we learned to value the right things in this life.

Ps. Andrew
(I recently did a radio interview on this topic. You can listen to it here.)