Time Management

I admit I don’t I have a good sense of time. I frequently think I can make a 20 minute trip in ten minutes. Go to the grocery store, the car wash and swing by my fave “brands for less” shop all before before meeting home for dinner ( which is in about 30 minutes! oops? Nah, plenty of time right? Just one more sales rack......)

God has a sense of humor and ways of strengthening our weaknesses. I am married to the guy who is always on time, but would prefer to be 10 minutes early. I am serious, I can count on one hand the times in 30 years of marriage that I have waited for him. If he is going to be late for some unforeseen situation, say a 10 pile car up ( that he somehow couldn’t find a way to navigate around and still be on time), or any other emergency, he always calls and apologizes, estimates his arrival time and sure enough, there he is walking through the door ...right on time. 

Through the years I have gotten better at getting ready-er on time and he has learned to be less stressed about it.

Now, he just  good-naturedly shouts out when we need to leave, ( “5 more minutes baby”) instead of telling me all the very good, philosophically true and important reasons we need to go........right now!

While I still despise alarm clocks and written schedules and would much rather go to bed when I feel like it, my grown up responsible self squeezes it’s will into these necessary restraints. In order to function in this world and not make enemies, they are simply a must.

Ahh but one day,, eternity,,,:) No hurry. No worry.

Anyhow, I digress. Until then, we have been given the gift of time. Yes it’s a gift. We each have 24 hours a day given to us to choose to do as we will. If we want to be effective for God’s kingdom, we will wisely seek the Holy Spirit’s direction in how to govern our days. Jesus said this concerning those “born of the Spirit”.

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

The wind flows, it moves along as it blown by the breath of God. If we desire to be led by Him, we must remain open to having our sails filled with the wind of HIs Spirit so He can move us along. Allowing The Spirit to orchestrate our steps and not trying to fit him into our preprogrammed phone schedules or text alerts.

Time can seem like and enemy as we try to cram all we want and need to do into those allotted hours. Then,  and on the opposite side of the pendulum swing, there are those times when the clock seems to tick by so slowly, it sounds as if is mocking our existence. Tick, tick, tick.

Focusing on goals helps us organize our time, but having this ONE all important goal adds meaning to our lives and structures our souls, no matter the hour. What is it? Walking with Jesus. Just acknowledging Him throughout our days, by talking to Him, seeking Him, listening to Him. No day is unproductive if we have managed to do that.

Our experience with time falls into the categories of what has happened, what is happening and what will happen, These “time blocks” can produce anxiety if not viewed correctly.

Let’s see what the Creator of time has to say about setting our minds as well as our clock to manage these areas.

Past.

 “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:12-14

To reach our goal ..we must forget the past mistakes or regrets that have tripped us up on our race, lest we become consumed with guilt.

Psalm 103:12 gives us great assurance of what God does with our confessed, repented from sin....

“As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Present. 

In his model prayer, Jesus gives us a valuable principle for dealing with everyday needs and concerns.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11

Daily dependance and reliance on the Lord for His daily provision helps us enjoy the day without stressing about tomorrow.

Future.

And for all the “what ifs” in life these words of Jesus, settle our anxious hearts,

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:31-34

I find that when I try to live moment by moment and not project into the future what may happen or not, I am far more settled, relaxed and focused, free to enjoy the moments given me. Now is all we all really have.

So let’s chill out peeps! Take a deep breath. Look at the folks that are with you. Enjoy them. Take every concern from big to small as it comes your way to the Lord in prayer and trust Him.

Take the next 4 and a half minutes you’ve been given and give yourself the gift of this song!

Trust Me by Crystal Lewis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MgboThkiBI

* Day 1 Chemo down! So far so good. I will meet with the medical staff next Monday to assess what my chemo routine will be after they do lab work and all. I so appreciate the prayers. They are indeed lifting me up! Love you all!