Sands of Time

August 5, 2011

Do you ever get caught up in a web inside your mind of "what if's"? Chances are, if you're human, you do. The thing is, we never seem to be satisfied with where we are in life. There always seems to be a new "project" that will make us happy. A new wardrobe. A new pair of smoking hot shoes to carry us through the next season. Some latest and greatest thing that will certainly make our lives exceptional. We always have an agenda to accomplish. A mission!

But, what are we missing in the now of it all? What are the things that are worth stewing in? What should we be savoring for as long as it lasts? What deserves to have our heart in it's entirety, sitting in contentment? What feels better than having your 3 year old cup your face in her pudgy little hands? What is more precious than when your 10 year old son surprises you with a kiss? Is there any higher compliment than your 8 year old who tells you that you look "hot"? {Don't ask.} What about girl talk with your 12 year old? I hold these things in high esteem.

I used to have a professional career. Back before I had a meaningful career. My husband and I both worked very hard. I even enjoyed my job. There were really good perks that job afforded me. But, then, something happened. Something that I would never be able to walk away from. Ever. I became a mother. And that took precedence over all else in my life. I ended up walking away from that job cutting our income almost in half.

Four kids later, in a struggling economy to say the least, here we are. Paying our bills every month, but having to get creative at times to be able to afford "extras". Making sacrifices almost daily where money is concerned. But, you know what? Even though my salary would have nearly tripled by now if I'd continued to work, I do NOT regret one single second that I've spent with my children. Even those moments where I was certain that one of us was not going to make it out alive... I'm still grateful for the opportunity to be with them!

We tend to get caught up in life. We can so easily forget that time is not a renewable resource. We each only get so much of it, and once it's gone we cannot get any of it back. How many times do we spend our moments carelessly? Do we realize how we are repeatedly guilty of wasting it away being ungrateful, selfish, angry, resentful? Whether or not you work outside the home or you get to spend your days with your kids, it is still so easy to take the present for granted.

A wise man once told me that no matter how much money you have you will always want more. It will never be enough. But, what really matters at the end of the day is how much time you have and how you spend what you've been given.

The sand in the hourglass of life is certainly growing towards empty every single day. Don't let it be too late before you decide to appreciate what you have left. If there is a seed of unforgiveness in your life, resolve it now. If there are things in your life that are unproductive, cut your ties. Make each day count. Don't wait until later to visit that someone that you've been thinking about. Don't put your laundry before hugs. When your kids want to kiss you, let them! When they talk to you, stop what you're doing and look them in the eye. Make time for tickles. You don't have to sweep your floor 5 times a day. Heck, you should spend the day playing with your kids and skip the floor altogether every once in a while.

Time. So precious. Don't wait until it's too late to make the most of it. We can't afford to spend it carelessly, on things that don't really matter in the end. All that matters in the here and now is that we use the time we've been given to share God's love with all others. That's it. If we follow that one simple rule in all things, then we're doing it right!

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34


"For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night." Psalm 90:4


"But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." 2Peter 3:8


"The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty, yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away." Psalm 90:10

"And he answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:27