See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16 NKJV

Recently, while hanging out with some teens, I peppered them with crazy questions, to learn more about them. One of my requests was to have them choose a favorite superpower. The most intriguing answer came from a wistful high schooler…she wanted to stop time. 

“Not do time travel?” I asked. “Why would you choose to stop time?”

She didn’t smile. 

“I feel like life is going too fast. I just want things to pause for a while.”

Her poignant response has stayed with me. While most teens complain of boredom, this young woman wanted to stop the blast of busyness…to bring a halt to the frantic flow swirling around her.

Her wish wasn’t just to slow down. She wanted to stop everything. 

I imagined myself in the same setting. Time around me frozen. All things still. No movement, forward or backward. Nothing changing. 

Maybe that’s what happened in the Bible account when Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, sat at the feet of Jesus listening to His teaching. Can’t you see her holding her breath in His presence, listening to His voice, with everything else around her hushed and motionless? 

I’m a seasoned adult now, but I’ve had too few of those time-stopping events. I sometimes wonder if I’ve strapped myself into the same high-speed train ride that Martha was on…unable to jump off. 

Time does go too fast in the 21st century, especially for me. Transatlantic flights, interstate drives, internet searches, fast food restaurants and more have given me a typical American accelerated lifestyle. It offers me the conveniences of extra time. But speed also puts greater demands on my schedule and mental capacity. Ten years of working at FedEx didn’t help either.

Can you identify? Do we really need all the speed?

I do wonder what it would be like to actually stop time…to put everything on hold for 24 hours. Want to try it?

Let’s call it a “Mary Day.” We put everything on hold. We take off our watches, put away our computers, and (sigh) keep cellphones out of sight as much as responsibilities allow. (That’s the hard one, especially for those of us who are addicted to our cellphones.) We don’t even get behind the wheel of a car unless it’s to fulfill a task of doing nothing. 

Instead, we make it a day to focus on our relationship with Jesus, starting with an extra-long quiet time of prayer and Scripture study. For the rest of the day, we focus on serving Him in a slow-motion way. Maybe it will be cooking a meal for someone special, writing an encouraging note to a shut-in, or walking along a scenic trail to be alone with Jesus.

Our aim will be to stop the clock on the “Martha” demands around us and spend some “Mary” time with Jesus in the process. It will be similar to a Sabbath rest—and yet more like a one-day sabbatical, taken out of the usual workday stresses. 

Can I be successful at this? I don’t know yet. Speed is definitely addictive. But I don’t want to wait for the right moment to slow down. It will never happen on its own.

I’ve already marked my calendar. If you’re willing to join me, please share your success with your own “Mary Day” at the Contact page on my website: https://nancycwilliams.com/contact.

I hope you and I both are successful in hitting the pause button and that we can encourage others to do the same. If so, maybe the high schooler I encountered could have that time-stopping superpower after all.

Jesus, my time on earth is limited…and I’ve put way too many other things ahead of spending time with You. Please forgive me. Help me to spend my days worshipping You, not only on Sabbath days but also in shutdown times when I can ignore everything else. Please grant me opportunities to sit at Your feet and learn from You…and let me find Your joy in every minute. In Your blessed name, Amen.

Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her blogs are featured on Crossmap.com and AriseDaily. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at NancyCWilliams.com and subscribe at the bottom. 

© Copyright 2026 Nancy C. Williams (text and photography). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #Jesus #time #maryandmartha #superpowers #cellphoneaddiction #sabbatical #sabbathrest