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Tuesday, August 14, 2007
 As I write this, I’m 24 hours out of a heavenly week spent lounging on a beach, sipping giant Icees and devouring two novels. We’ve been vacationing on Anna Maria Island, and I’m already wistful about the satiny white sand cooling my toes and gently buffing my heels, the bubbling waves rolling onto the shore, the seagulls’ cries and the carefree banter and laughter of my children swimming together in the ocean. For one week, we simply existed, without any thoughts toward deadlines, school or work. Read: “Sigh.”Today, we’re revving up to move into dorms, begin new ministry programs and continue work projects. Time, perhaps our most precious commodity, stops for no one. --Wait a minute--of course it does! We all have a number of days allotted to us (Job 14:5) and then time becomes a historical phenomenon; eternity stretches on before us. I’ve been thinking about how I invest my personal allotment of time, about making a difference in my sphere of influence, because soon (we are all merely one heartbeat away) time will stop indeed. Although it’s not an original notion, I couldn’t help noticing this week how the tide washed away my many “signatures” on the beach: my footprints, my castles, my name in the sand—all of the marks that said, “I’m here!” were relentlessly erased. Before the orange sun dipped into the ocean each evening, any signs of the life-form known as “Linda” were completely gone, reminding me of the temporal versus the eternal, prompting me to wonder: “What imprints of mine will remain after I’m gone?” I’ve decided there are three eternal depositories into which I can wisely invest my time; maybe they will speak to you, too: 1) Knowing and promulgating the word of God. Matthew 24:35 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” And 1 Peter 1:25a says, “But the word of the Lord endures for ever.” God’s word is alive and immutable; it’s validity transcends time because his character never changes. So even when there will be a new heaven and earth, his word will remain perpetually consistent. Therefore, when I use my tongue (or my keyboard!) to share his word and encourage others, I contribute to influencing the world for God’s eternal glory. That is exciting! 2) Cultivating relationships. In John 5:24, Jesus promises us “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” The prophet Isaiah proclaimed that Messiah “will swallow up death forever” (25:8). In other words, people (their spirits, the core of who they are) last forever. Therefore, if I invest in people, I’m making an eternal investment. Creating time for nurturing relationships is important, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. Daily duties, personal fears of rejection or feeling smothered can keep me from being vulnerable or available to people. But people matter to God, and they should (and do) matter to me, so I must make time to be relationally present. We are meant to live in community, now and throughout eternity. I want to be the friend who is there in the capacity Aaron was for Moses; I want to be the friend who always points the other to Christ, our one and only Answer. 3) Creating a spiritual legacy. I want to foster a spiritual heritage for my family for many generations to come, including those who will most likely not even know my name in two or three generations. I would love for my grandchildren and great grandchildren to be able to echo the psalmist: “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage” (Psalm 16:6). I recall Paul’s reference to Timothy’s faith-filled mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, and how Timothy assumed the cloak of their strong faith (2 Timothy 1:5). I don’t have a boatload of valuable material possessions to pass on to my children, but maybe through faithful, intentional prayer, they will prosper spiritually and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s invitation to share abundant life with him. If the prayers of a righteous man availeth much, how much more so the prayers of a faithful grandma?! In my first sentence, I called my week of languid existence “heavenly,” but I don’t really believe we will merely lounge around in eternity. I believe we will have roles to fulfill and rewards to enjoy. I want to invest my time in things that matter, things that last—promoting the ageless, unalterable word of God, living in community and love with immortal brothers and sisters, and leaving a legacy of faith for those who will carry on after me. And if there happens to be glistening alabaster sand in heaven, I can live with that, too.   Please visit my personal blog at 2nd Cup of Coffee. Labels: Heaven, Linda's Articles, talents, time management Leave a comment... 9 Comments Links to this post Even in the midst of all the trouble we are now in, even though no one knows which way to turn and which way to go, there still persists the notion that we must get there with ever greater speed. Running here and running there, there are times in my life I feel like all I am doing is going and not accomplishing anything. I guess as I sit here on the verge of my vacation, I am realizing that I am tired of running. This is something many women have difficulty in doing…just stopping to relax to refuel. I know some of you with small children just laughed and spit out your drink, but it is important to unplug even then. I could link to many posts I have read this past month on how people have felt they have lost themselves in life’s everyday tasks. We as women run ourselves out, without refueling. "And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done." ~ Gen 2:2 Do you realize there are over 500 verses that deal with rest? And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." (Exodus 33:14) While Jesus walked the earth, he worked very hard, but he did not forget to rest. Some women feel guilt when they sit; they feel they are being idle and wasting time. I suggest you are refueling. I believe there are many times the Lord allows things to happen, so we are forced to sit and refuel. As I mature, I am learning to realize when I begin to run on empty. It took some rough days in my youth to figure that out. You can not be effective as a mother, as a wife, as a daughter of the King if you are running on empty. So how to you refuel? Only you know what recharges your battery, but for me it can be: 1. Spending a day with a girlfriend. Each one of these refuels me to one degree or another. Find the one thing that refuels you, and make an appointment to recharge. I would suggest to make this at least a once a month activity. Work hard all month, and then take a day off for yourself. You will be amazed at how much more patient you are with others around you, how much more calmly you approach problems that come your way. Don't go full force until you burn out, go...... recharge.  Labels: Laurel's Articles, routine, time management Leave a comment... 5 Comments Links to this post As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. "Bring them here to me," he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. (Matthew 14:15-20 NIV) ~~~~~~~ As evening approached, I came to Jesus and said, "I don't remotely have enough time to get everything done this week. It's getting late. Please tell me which commitments to let go of! I know you brought these people and ministries into my life as a result of prayer, but it's obvious that I can't handle all of this. Can't someone else do it?" Jesus replied, "The responsibilities I have ordained for you do not need to go away. You fulfill them." "I have here only five weekdays and two weekend days," I answered. Labels: busyness, Cyndi's Articles, time management Leave a comment... 14 Comments Links to this post Today, my state, Indiana, joins the rest of you in scoring some extra daylight. For reasons unclear to 99% of us Hoosiers, we have stubbornly bucked Daylight Saving Time until this year. As a result, we've never been sure exactly what time it is within Indiana because we've been enjoying three time zones! Regardless, if you want to honk off a Hoosier, especially a farmer, ask him how he feels about DST. And then take a few steps back. Personally, I like the idea of springing forward. the Christian life emphasizes forward momentum, "forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead," as in Philippians 3:13, and finishing the race, as in 2 Timothy 4:7. We never want to stagnate, and daily we search hopefully for signs that we are becoming more and more like Christ. Sometimes, though, instead of a healthy forward momentum, I feel I'm living in three time zones. That is, I fill my days with lists of tasks, responsibilities and service, and at the end of the day, I realize how little time I've engaged the Lord. Do I really believe that God is more concerned about who I am than what I do? For instance, I'm part of a "Read the Bible in a Year" campaign. I'm actually ahead of schedule, but that's because I've been galloping through Numbers like Seabiscuit out of the gate. Instead of speed reading, I should be researching why God included so many details and figures. I should slow down to ask, "Lord, what do You want to say to me today through Numbers?" But then, I'd have to actually slow down to listen. In an effort to nurture relationships, I have lists of names to call or email, but sometimes, I find myself clock-watching after just a few minutes. Maybe I should just ask the Holy Spirit, "Show me who needs attention and love today." Once again, I'd have to stop and listen. And then there are the yes/no demands on my time: the caller asking if I can help with a special school project; the bulk mailing at work that didn't get completed--should I work an extra hour? My daughter is asking if I can help her bake a new dessert; the clean laundry wrinkling in the basket even as I write this is pestering me--and what about tonight's dinner, my newspaper column, my little dog? Do you feel guilty if you're not "doing," not constantly springing forward toward the next task? I'll bet you know the scriptures as well as I do about being still and knowing He is God, about His yoke being easy and His burden light, and about how Jesus withdrew from crowds to pray. But it's hard to break the hold of what some have called "the tyranny of the oughts and shoulds," both internal and external. We so want to get this life "right." If you are a compulsive "do-er," consider handing over your plans today to the Father by focusing on the two great commandments of Luke 10:27, loving God with your entire being and loving your neighbor as yourself. This doesn't mean God won't ask anything of you; He says if you love Him, you'll obey His commands, which I also interpret to include those commands he speaks to you personally about your day. However, you don't have to busy in a God-pleasing activity to please God. You please him by treating Him as the highest significant other in your life. Instead of making sure we're hitting the details of 20 nonessential tasks per day and planning tomorrow's superfluous 20, maybe we should focus on what God gives us for that day, or that hour, and do them with passion and excellence. And that may mean devoting an entire evening to helping your 5th grader create a solar system model--a great opportunity for intimate sharing between you, your child, and the One who molded the spheres and released them spinning. You can't top that for meaningful multi-tasking! Labels: busyness, Linda's Articles, Obedience, self-worth, time management Leave a comment... 14 Comments Links to this post
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