It is that time of year again. The second Sunday of March approaches, and with it, the familiar, often dreaded, biannual ritual of changing our clocks. “Spring forward” means losing an hour of sleep, a shift that triggers debate over health impacts, economics, and our very relationship with time.

Proponents of changing the clocks argue that Daylight Saving Time (DST) provides more daylight in the evening, promoting active lifestyles, increased economic activity, and tourism. However, the argument against DST is strong, with many health experts citing that it increases stress, causes “social jetlag,” and raises the risk of heart attacks and traffic accidents due to sleep deprivation. Scientific studies suggest our bodies are meant to align with the sun, and shifting that clock can have detrimental health impacts.

While Congress continues to debate the “Sunshine Protection Act” to make DST permanent, to “lock the clock”, others advocate for staying on standard time. I’m not sure which side of the debate I take, but on a more superficial level, I have wondered why clocks are changed at 2 a.m.

Historically, it is the least disruptive time for travel and business. The 2 a.m. hour ensured that trains in transit would not cause scheduling chaos, as almost no trains left major hubs at this time on a Sunday. It also avoids splitting the day, keeping the change before early commuters, churchgoers, and most early-morning businesses are active. Have you ever been early or late to church because of DST?

The 2 a.m. hour is also convenient in that it is late enough that bars, restaurants, and late-night workers are likely finished or finishing, but early enough that the entire country has shifted to the new time before daybreak. It also avoids confusing the date. If we were to change our clocks at midnight, from midnight to 1:00 am, for example, the date would shift to a new day. Changing at 2:00 am keeps the change firmly within the early Sunday morning hours.

Whatever our position is on DST, or whatever our curiosity about the hour at which our clocks shift, I think it’s important to focus on God as the Creator and Sovereign of time. If you are feeling sluggish this week, struggling with the “social jetlag” of the time change, take heart in knowing that God is still in control of the seasons. We can trust that He knows the right time for everything, and His timing is perfect.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, (Genesis 1:14, ESV)

“He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, ESV).

As we adjust the hands of our clocks, let us also adjust our hearts to trust in Him, trusting that our days are in His hands.

My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

(Psalm 31:15 ESV)