Time

There are a lot of things that people take for granted, but time has to be one of the things on the top of the list. I never thought about time very much until I began working. I became even more enamored with the concept after Isabel was born. When I was in school, time did not matter because there was so much of it. I could spend eight hours a day just goofing off, and I would still get all of my work done. I felt as if I had all the time in the world to do whatever it is I wanted to do at that time. My activities were only limited by my lack of creative uses for the time.

Today, my activities are limited by a lot more than that. My typical weekday schedule consists of getting ready for work, traveling to work, being at work, driving home from work, having dinner, playing with Isabel, two hours of "free time," and then it is bed time. That does not leave much room for creativity. Most days I don't mind the fact that my days have become so scheduled, but sometimes it can be frustrating. When those times come, it is always fun to mix up the routine by going out to eat or meeting Isabel and Jenn for lunch.

One of the concepts that I understand a lot better now is that of redeeming the time. I have been told since I was a teenager that it is important to use time properly. Redeeming the time that God has given to us is an important concept, and it is one that makes more sense the older you get. When you have two hours to do whatever you want instead of twelve, time becomes more precious, and in a real sense, more fleeting.

Our use of time is an investment into the things that we have deemed important to us. When we spend time with our children, we are investing that time in them, acknowledging and hoping that there will be a return. When we spend time with our spouse, again, we make an investment. We are saying that this relationship is important to me and is worth this investment of a precious resource. The same applies to our relationship with God. Keep in mind that this also applies to the television, golf, Wii, football, exercise, sleep, and work. How we spend our time is a great indicator of our values and priorities.

Sometimes we don't have a choice. I don't have the option to let my boss know that I do not prioritize work very high so I will only be spending twelve hours a week at the office. Though, if I did, I would find myself with a whole lot of time to invest. It is that "free time" that comes to mind when we talk about priorities. While it is important to take some time to unwind or to play, these cannot monopolize or relationships will suffer. Time is a valuable resource, and I would love to have more of it, but the reality is that every day truly is a gift from God. How we use that gift is up to us.