The Gift of Time

            The best gift any of us has is time. God made time and created room for us. In giving us time and space, God has given us enough independence to determine what we will do with the brief time we have.

What will we do with our time?

So often, we are in a hurry. We are too busy. We do not make time for each other the way we could. We do not make time for the things that are important to us. We know they are important, but somehow we are just too busy. We let trivia get in the way. You know how it is. We might even let the past get in our way with regrets or with resentment toward others. We obsess over small things. We let things the things that demand our attention now consume our lives. We never quite figure out how to organize our lives so that we avoid the trivia and stay focused on what is important to us.

When we are young, we always feel that life has not yet begun. We will begin life next week, next month, next year, after the holidays – whenever. Before we are aware of it, we are old and wondering what in the world we did with the time we had.

            For most of us, friends and family are important. Yet, unless something happens to wake us up, we often let so many other things crowd them out of our lives. We just do not have the time.

            The death of a friend or family member can be one of those precious moments that make us stop or pause long enough, in the midst of the rush of life, to consider what is important to us. Do we have our priorities aligned right? Such a moment can make us reflect upon the life of another person, as well as what that person meant to us. What qualities did we admire? Can we incorporate some of those qualities into our lives?

I have thought of many images for the point I want to make. One could use the image of a pattern we make with sewing, of the story we might write, or of the picture we paint. Today, however, I am thinking of the song we sing. Most of us like music, whether we are good at singing or not. Think of your life as a song your life is singing. The song is not over yet, of course. So far, do you like the song?

            Think of your song as influencing the song other people are singing with their lives. Your contribution may be large, contributing major themes. However, it may also be a simple note, a change in tempo, or a rest. You have the privilege of contributing to their song.

            Of course, ultimately, we have a connection to God. We need to find a way to connect our song with the song God is inviting us to sing.

            None of us knows how much time we have. The song continues with additional themes, measures, and verses.

The thing is, for some people, to continue with their song is one of the toughest things they will ever do. It might be after a major disappointment, a disruption in a relationship, the realization that you could have done so much more with your life, or the loss of one close to you. Whatever the circumstance, it can seem almost impossible to continue with your song. The way of a human life is not straight or easy. We may well have to dig deep into matters of who we are, whom we desire to be, matters of character and values. Truth is, you never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have.

            One further word might be helpful. When you have reached your limit, you may well find that God, whose creative love knows no limits, is there.