Posted 4/11/22
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. – Ecclesiastes 3:11
Howdy all! Another week already flying by and it is just Monday morning! I was just thinking about how time flies as I drove to work at 50 MPH in Tempo One because it was raining so hard. I have discussed this topic before, but the older I get, the more I want to shout the importance of this from the rooftops: make the most of your time! (Ironically, my first time typing the previous sentence, I typed Make the MIST of your time…and that actually applied just fine and spellcheck said “Cool play on words, Blog Boy…I will leave that be”….even though it was an accident).
Seriously, though, time flies. Here are a few examples in my own life:
- I pass my 1 Billionth second being married on July 11th. (I will have been married 32 years this November)
- My kids, all three born in the last 6 months, are actually 27, 21, and 19, soon to turn the odometer again this summer.
- This post is 2 away from post number 750!!!!! Some longer than they should have been and some shorter, but all doing my best.
- We are a full 25 months from the pandemic’s entrance into the US.
- My cat Silver (RIP…thank you for the kind words from the last post) was nearly 20 years old when he passed away last week! Blink…from kitten to old.
- I used an elliptical today at Planet Fitness and forgot to click my tracker so I had to start all over for the most part. OK, that doesn’t prove my point, it actually disproves it a bit because I am so slow…but still…..I survived and now 12th of a day has passed with me lamenting this faux pas.
- Mom has been on hospice since 5/2019. Three years next month since we were told that she only had 6 or fewer months to live.
Can I just implore you today with all of the cornbreadedness I can muster: make the most of life! I know fully and excitedly that heaven awaits. I do. I am very excited for that as well, but we are also called to make the most of our precious time here. Even in caregiving, 36/7/366 or fewer hours, find time every day for joy with your loved one.
Don’t have time??? Make time. I will say something here that is theologically close but no cigar: God’s creation is a communicable attribute. A communicable attribute is one that God gives us the ability, in a fallen version granted, to display. We, too, can CREATE TIME as He Created time (See the first few pages of your Bible). He created it by speaking it into existence in a way that we are underpowered to understand. WE create time by speaking to our life through action. Here are some actions that will create time, if you will:
- Turn off the TV, most notably the news. You can watch for a little bit to be informed, but your heart, your mental health, and the rest do not need 24/7 news coverage. It is bad for you. Really bad. Watch an episode of Netflix…not a whole season….
- Wake up a little earlier. Get your three sleep cycles to protect your brain…please…but wake up a little earlier and think and rejoice before the day invades with its hyper-time ray gun.
- Make a list and stick to it. This can be for work activities, grocery shopping, or anything. It is ok to “wing it”, but doing so in a more structured way will maximize the joy. Plan the next day the night before and the next week the week before.
- Survey your week…write down what you did every day and look through for what sparked some joy and what was completely unnecessary….and delete the latter.
- “Be decisive and move on (up to 60 minutes). Every minute spent waffling can slow down your ability to take action, says Kemp. For example, rather than spending six hours researching the best round-trip airfare deal—only to save $25 in the end—give yourself 45 minutes to comparison price shop, then make a decision.”- Oh my gosh…this tip was from Oprah’s website. Even a blind squirrel will find an acorn now and then. 😉
- Leverage some technology, but within limits. Some tech makes things faster and easier, some just distracts. Me mindful of which do which.
- Search for your own 1991 Tempo. They are super fast and will give you some time back in sheer horsepower! (Mine is a 3 cylinder, currently, but still pushes at least as many horses as my push mower.
Lats thought about this time thing: Remember to be mindful of time. Do you have a harder time than normal with this? By that I mean, you are losing track on what month or season it is? Please, please, please, if so, hop on this blog post, about 650 posts ago, and reread it: BLOG LINK
Some of my tips may help, some may not. However, there is a matter of the force of our will to try to free up space for what is important. This week’s significance, to a Christian, is of the essence of our identity. Without Easter, Christmas would just be some old guy’s birthday. Remember that, in fast seasons or slow, the Lord is Sovereign and is unchanging. Grab your Bible and read…and make that a regular habit. It may not save you time, as such, but it will make what time you have better.
Last comment about time: It is about time for some better treatments and a stinkin’ cure. 🙁
Thank you all for everything. Have a great week!
#EndALZ
Update: Not much new on the mom front. As I mentioned before, she hits 36 months being on hospice next month. She currently sleeps 20-22 hours a day. She is in no visible pain. She is losing weight, which is always a concern, but she still eats, even while half asleep. She has all the time in the world, and yet fewer minutes every day.
