March 15 Home Communicator –The times they are a changin’…
On Sunday, we observed the biannual ritual of Daylight Saving Time (DST). This time change can really throw off our circadian rhythm and is claimed to cause health and safety risks. On the other hand, it also gives us longer daylight hours which benefits farmers and business owners. So when and why did our country adopt this altering practice?
Over a hundred years ago, Germany became the first country to put DST into practice during World War I. Several years later in 1918, the U.S. instituted the same practice in order to conserve fuel needed to produce electricity. Most areas gave up DST after the war, but the U.S. reinstated it for World War II. In 1966, a system of uniform DST was established throughout the country, except for states that voted to stay on standard time. Now, in 2022, most Americans still have DST from March through November.
Some say we gain an hour in the fall and lose an hour in the spring with DST. The truth is, it is the same 24 hours in a day as it always is. God’s clock never changes. He has an appointed time for everything and has known these times since before creation. No matter how we feel about the time change, we need to focus on the time God has given us. It is a set and in some ways limited time where we need to make the most of our days by serving Him.
“God, help me use the hours in my day efficiently and effectively. I long to do Your will on earth, as it is done in heaven. Teach me to number my days so that I may present to You a heart of wisdom. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen”
Serving Him together, Jenny Gorter, Elementary Educational Support Services Director
