Every four years, we get an extra day on our calendars in the month of February- Leap Day. For some it feels like a bonus day, and is an extra special celebration for those born on February 29. Others call it a curse when they recognize they are working an extra day without an extra day of pay. Without it however the months of our calendar would drift into different seasons and eventually we’d be enjoying beach barbecues for Christmas just like they do in Australia- while the Ozzies would get to sip cocoa by the fire in December.
The ancient Egyptians were among the first to recognize the need for a leap year. They observed that the solar year was roughly 365.25 days long and devised a calendar system to add an extra day every four years to account for this discrepancy. February 29th, the leap day, serves as a reminder of our ongoing efforts to reconcile human systems with the natural world.
In a spiritual sense, the concept of leap year can serve as a metaphor for our journey of faith. Just as we make adjustments to our calendar to stay in alignment with the solar year, we must continually realign our hearts and minds with the principles of our faith. Sometimes we abruptly fall out of relationship with God but often it happens through incremental shifts in our attention and practices. So as we mark this extra day on our calendars, let it be a signal and opportunity to review and catch up in areas where we’ve been slipping spiritually. Let daily disciplines of prayer and scripture reading realign your connection to the Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit. May we embrace the opportunity that this leap year brings to step forward, or rather take a leap of faith committing our hearts to trust Him anew.