The Gift of Time

If you're like me, you think about time alot. How much time will something take? Do I have enough time to get something done? What time do I need to wake up? For me time is something that I've always thought alot about and yet never seemed to have enough of. When I was teaching, I felt that I was always working and never had any time, but at the same time knew that I needed to put that time into my career so that my kids would do well. Was it worth it for my class? Yes. Was it hard? YES. I can honestly remember thinking, I'm so busy that I would give anything to have a little more time! (In the end I did this by giving up teaching so that I would have more time to help Ryan with youth and enjoy our lives!) One thing that I resolved to do early on in my adulthood is to only go to the grocery store once a week so that I don't spend more time than needed making multiple trips. Sometimes I forget to buy things that I need for the week, but 99% of the time I think, oh well!, and I make do. I've never starved as a result of this. I just find something different to eat.

Another area that I've always focused on is scheduling. My friend Ashley reminded me that once when I was young and stupid and focused on over busyness I said to her, "I work out. I go to class. I do homework. I don't have time for friends!" Oh, I'm so thankful that God shifted my perspective and that Ashley stuck around to be my friend anyway! Thanks Ash!

This past summer I felt was so wonderful because I was finally given the gift of time. Since I wasn't teaching and was going through the transition of moving...plus had some fun vacation time... I had about 3 months of free time. It wasn't completely free- I did do massive amounts of packing, unpacking, and had some scheduled things. But for the most part, I had time. It was AMAZING. I had time to read. I had time to cook. I had time to relax by the pool. I had time to be with friends and family that I love. I had time to spend studying my Bible, relishing in God's truth, and praying. It was like finally getting a chance to reprioritize and do what really mattered to me.

Summer finally had to come to an end, and I was blessed to get a great job. One thing that I already love so much about my job is that it still allows me to have some time! Yes, I go to work and have responsibilities, but my afternoon and nights and weekends are free to me to use for the things that I love and feel are so important. I love getting to sit and eat with my husband without feeling rushed. I love going to church events and not feeling like I have to rush home so that I can then rush to get the next thing done. Ironically sometimes I still get the instincts of an over busy person and I have to stop myself and realize that I don't have to live like that.

Please don't confuse my love of time with laziness. I definitely do not cherish laziness. I cherish allowing myself to let God fill my schedule in wonderful ways rather than forcing myself to preschedule every moment of my time. One way that God is doing this right now is through the book The Hour That Changed The World. Our church is studying this book as our pastor teaches Scripture that supports the ideas and our small groups discuss it and what it would look like to apply the ideas in our lives. Basically, the book is challenging us to gradually increase our prayer time to 60 minutes each day. WHAT? 60 minutes? That's a whole hour! .... That was my initial reaction. But even though it seems hard, I keep thinking about how God could use that time to change my heart and my relationship with Christ. (Also, all 60 minutes does not have to happen at the same time, and it can happen in natural ways, like when you're driving by yourself). I can testify that even on busy days, when I spend time with God, I don't regret it. I never walk away from a quite time thinking that it was a waste. Especially when I'm focused on seeking God and not just checking off a to-do list. I AM NOT saying that you have to spend 1 hour in prayer ever day to glorify God or be a Christian. However, it is a interesting idea that really makes me look at my perspective of time. My friend Lynne, who I met and did a Bible study with in Kenya, once said to me, " Kate, all of your time belongs to God anyway. Who are we to tell God that we can't give him part of it to spend just with Him?"

So I'll continue to pray about this. I don't think that if I spend 60 minutes praying it makes me good. And I promise that I don't think that if you don't it makes you bad. Lately, I've just been so thankful for time and I wanted to share this with whoever wanted to read it. So thanks for taking up a few minutes of your time to read this. :)