While the Clock Ticks, We're Checking Our Notifications

While the Clock Ticks, We're Checking Our Notifications

A Real Talk Wake-Up Call Before Time Slips Through Our Fingers

By Kateb Nuri-Alim Shunnar

You ever been so caught up in your phone you walked into a door? Or missed your exit ‘cause you were jamming to a song that took you back to ‘98? Yeah, me too. That’s kinda what life feels like right now we’re so wrapped up in scrolling, flexing, buying, chasing, and comparing, we don’t even notice the clock in the corner… ticking.

Time ain’t loud. It doesn’t scream. It just moves quietly, steadily. And every tick is a heartbeat we don’t get back. We act like we got forever. We live like there’s always gonna be “next year” or “next time.” But here’s the truth most folks don’t wanna sit with: you might not get that next time.

I’ve seen people full of dreams and muscles, here one day gone the next. No warning. No goodbyes. Just silence.

And the thing is, we don’t even realize we’re being robbed. The thief is smooth. It looks like busyness. It feels like productivity. It smells like success. But while you’re knee-deep in hustling for things that don’t follow you past the grave, your soul is starving. Your peace is shrinking. Your real purpose? Lost somewhere between inbox zero and chasing that next dopamine hit.

Let me tell you something personal. There was a season in my life where I thought I was killing it. I had the accolades, the respect, the schedule booked solid. Folks looked at me and saw “accomplished.” But at night, when the applause faded, I was empty. Like, staring-at-the-ceiling-at-2am empty. I was out here doing the most and missing the most important thing: connection with the One who gave me breath.

I ignored the whispers that told me to slow down. You know those whispers? The gut feelings. The nudges. The gentle “Hey… are you okay?” moments we brush off. I buried them under deadlines and pride. Until life sat me down hard.

Sometimes we treat God like a side hustle. We pull Him out when we’re broke or broken. But He’s not some spare tire you only need in emergencies. He’s the source. The GPS. The reason your lungs keep inflating.

And we’ve gotten comfortable with being comfortable. We think because the sun still rises, and we’ve got food in the fridge, everything’s fine. But hear me: just ‘cause judgment doesn’t knock on your door today doesn’t mean it forgot the address. Mercy is a gift not a guarantee.

It’s like living in a burning house but feeling cozy ‘cause the couch is soft. That’s where a lot of us are burning inside, distracted by the softness of sin. And the enemy? He doesn’t need to destroy you just keep you distracted long enough to destroy yourself.

You ever go to grab your phone and 45 minutes later you don’t even remember what you picked it up for? That’s life, right there. You blink and the baby's grown. Blink again your reflection's grayer. Blink again and you're standing at the edge of eternity, wondering how the years slipped through your fingers like sand.

But it ain’t all gloom. This right here? This moment? This is mercy tapping you on the shoulder saying, “Hey… come back to what matters.”

You don’t gotta be perfect. You don’t need a stage. What you need is a real conversation with the Creator. One where you’re honest. Where you say, “I’ve messed up. I’ve drifted. I’ve been out here wildin’ and I need You to fix this mess.”

Start with that. Start messy if you have to. God can work with messy. He can’t work with fake.

Look there’s a blueprint. A simple one. Believe. Do what’s right. Help people. Stay grounded in truth. And be patient ‘cause this journey is uphill and muddy sometimes. You’ll slip. You’ll doubt. But keep walking. Keep lifting others while you walk. That’s how we win.

So check your soul like you check your phone. Is it charged? Is it connected? Are you getting any divine signal, or are you out here in spiritual airplane mode?

It’s time to come home.

Not just church home. Soul home. Heart home.

To the place where peace isn’t performative and purpose isn’t a hashtag.

Don’t let time fool you. It don’t come with a warning label.

But love does.

This is it.