Using Your Time Wisely
Can you believe that we are days away from the month of June? Time is flying by and before long, we will be putting up Christmas decorations! With that being said, I wanted to talk to you about that very subject...TIME.
As many of you know, I stay very busy all the time. If I am not busy, something definitely must be wrong. Between church, family and working a 8 to 5 job, life is hectic. There are agendas to plan, lessons to study, songs to learn, laundry to do, meals to cook, floors to mop, etc, etc, etc. I get tired but I can't stop. Who would do everything that needs to be done?
This is what happened this weekend that “opened my eyes” regarding time. My sister and her husband came to visit me. I have not seen them in about 3 years (this is my fault because I let obligations to work AND church keep me here....I will address this issue shortly). I took a day and ½ off from work to spend time with them. Once they arrived, it's like time stood still. It was a time to reflect on family and enjoying each other. There was no schedules. No “to do” lists, just relax and have fun. We actually sat on the porch, watched the birds and carried on a conversation. I cannot even remember the last time I sat on the porch to relax and it was WONDERFUL! We even went down to the Washington waterfront and just walked around. Who has time for that? I do. I even remember saying to my husband, “so this is what this feels like.”
But there is a flip side to my story. My sister was pulling up family and friends on facebook (I do not do the facebook thing) and I was able to see people that was a part of my life 40 + years ago. Guess what, we got older. Time had passed by and some had died, some had been through ready bad times, some were dealing with major health issues, some lost their way. It made me so sad. I let time slip away from me and I feel like I missed out on so many people's lives that had played such a big part of my life. Would it have made any difference? I don't know but it got me thinking.
[if !supportLists] [endif]We take time for granted
[if !supportLists] [endif]We waste a lot of time
[if !supportLists] [endif]We think we have a lot of time
[if !supportLists] [endif]We spend it on ourselves, doing what we want to do.
[if !supportLists] [endif]We give very little of it away
What we need to do with our time is:
[if !supportLists] [endif]Make our time count
[if !supportLists] [endif]Take time to be HOLY
[if !supportLists] [endif]Invest time in our family, in people in general
[if !supportLists] [endif]Give GOD our time (it's more than a Sunday morning religion)
[if !supportLists] [endif]Take time to enjoy the blessings of GOD. We are a blessed people.
[if !supportLists] [endif]Take time to say “I love you” and maybe we need to say “please forgive me.”
So what are you going to do with your time? Here is a sample of what I intend to do-
Sit on the porch and study my lesson while communing with my Lord.
Spend more time in my prayer closet or my “war room” because there is a battle going on and I intend to win this battle so I need to prepare myself.
Continue to work in God's kingdom even though sometimes it feels like it does not make a difference.
Invite people to come to church and to get involved with the Lord's work.
Do not spend any more time being discouraged.
Live my life in such a way that when I am gone, I will be missed.
Don't try to please people, please GOD.
Take my Sunday School class, the Women's Ministry and the choir to a whole different level.
Reconnect with my family and friends. I am planning on attending my oldest sister's 80th birthday celebration which will include seeing siblings, cousins, old friends. I am not going to miss another family gathering if it can be helped. This is how I look at it. God comes first, family second and the church is after that.
Enjoy my children and grandchildren on our summer vacation (Yes, the preacher and his family are allowed to go on vacation too!) Hopefully, Ronnie will take me to the mountains in the fall as well.