There's time enough for everything

Saturday marked Hiraeth's 6 month anniversary in bloglandia (got that term from TulipGirl who got it from someone else. I like it, don't you?) It crossed my mind to sit down and write out a "six months of blogging" post of some sort, but I've been so busy that I've hardly stopped long enough to think about it, let alone blog about it, so that didn't happen.

What I did end up thinking about is something I think about fairly regularly--time management. I'm not going to wax eloquent about how to manage one's time (truth is, anyone can get a lot of things done every day if they justdon'tstop, but I don't recommend that!) Nor am I going to give examples from my own life about how I do "get done" all that I do "get done." (I can "manage" to get an amazing number of "things" done in a day) I'm not even going to confess how much I still need to do or how far behind I seem to be(truth is, I can waste a lot of time.)

No, I'm going to tell you about something I have learned in the past and have had to re-learn from time to time. Like now.

I have a saying taped up in the lid of my file cabinet: "I used to take one day at a time, but lately several have ganged up on me at the same time." Ever felt like that? I've learned that when I feel as though several days have ganged up on me at the same time it is usually for two reasons: 1. I was not faithful in the little things in days past and 2. I am foolishly trying to live several days at the same time or worse, several days in advance.

Life is immediate. You can't live it yesterday and you can't live it in advance. The time I squander today is lost forever. It's one day at a time, one moment at a time. Oh, the wisdom of God, that He has placed us within the limits of time and space! That's not to say that we shouldn't remember the past, or plan for the future. Those are both Biblical concepts and one who is wise will do both. But I know that, if left to my own devices, I would get myself into a lot of trouble when it comes to the use of time, even more than I do already.

So here's my self-exhortation for the day: Stop telling yourself, 'once I get through this, things will settle down. Once I get this accomplished, I can relax. Once I get THIS done I can get THAT done.' That is no way to live! Each and every day comes with its blessings and its trials. I can't live in the past with its regrets; there is no going back. I can't live in the future; it's not here yet. All I can do is live this day, be faithful this day, and stop trying to live my life between events. The events of life make up the substance of life and I'm going to enjoy them today. There is time enough for everything.

3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!

I'm going to slow down and read, yet again, an excellent sermon by Jonathan Edwards, The Preciousness of Time and the Importance of Redeeming It.

Related Tags: time, time management, bloglandia, Jonathan Edwards, The Preciousness of Time and the Importance of Redeeming It, redeeming the time, blogging