The Gift of Time, Our Legacy and Open Doors

 

 

The small Hobolochitto Creek lazily meanders on the eastern border of my property. Life has been meandering lately. Hopefully you are gathering lessons learned from this quarantine.

In the stillness of the days, has our soul learned to slow down? Have we been able to take time to listen to what our deep “inner voice” is often telling us but we ignore because we have been moving too fast – for too long?

Are we moving too fast because we don’t want to hear what our soul has to say? Do we self “medicate” the pain and the woundings we feel when it reminds us of how heavy our load is? Do we hear the passing of time and wearily ignore it?

What if we began to look at time as a precious commodity? What if we learn to look at it as the most precious gift we have?

Would we treat it differently? Would we treat each other differently? Would we treat ourselves differently? 

Psalm 90:12 

Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Oh! I love this so much. I want a heart of wisdom. 

I often hear people longingly speak of life returning to normal and I ponder that. I don’t want to be the same as before. 

When the doors open again, I want to walk through them a better person. I want to emerge from this cocoon environment the world has been immersed in and I want to be a much more beautiful human and grace the world as a butterfly newly launched, giving the world cause to pause, breathe and smile. 

As I turn 65 on my next birthday, even though I do not number my days because that is in God’s hands, I know I am closer to the end of life on this earth with every day that passes – and it is there I find my most precious treasure – time.

Romans 13:11

And do this, understanding the present time; The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

I hope you feel more alive these days, live more grateful, more aware and have more love for the world we encounter as we emerge from our cocoon of quarantine. Live with a deep and reverent respect for time because it is a precious gift.

A precious gift has been given you and you decide how you will use yours. 

Our God who gave you this gift, gave it unconditionally. He has a plan for your life, yet, you choose. Will you choose Him? Choose our God as the purpose of how you live your life? These verses constantly remind me of Him, His love and the comfort of His presence for the world of souls He created.

Matthew 6:27-28

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.”

… and

Matthew 7:7-8

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

Never before in history has the entire world been impacted by the same enemy. The only one I think of is the great flood in Noah’s day.

As all of you are, I’ve been in quarantine for over seven weeks now and counting. (Or is it eight weeks?) Slowly as businesses begin to open in stages, life is going to look different.

I was picking up some essentials at the feed store the other day and a grandmother had her four granddaughters with her. The older, probably about twelve, was fussing with the youngest, probably about four. Grandma asked what was wrong. Sister #1 “she just won’t quit going too close to that lady!”. (me)  

I wanted to weep.

All boundaries have changed if I understand this correctly. How can being too near another human be so wrong? (Yes, I understand the science.) 

What is each generation going to take away from this? Not so much asking for the mid teens and up, but for the mid teens and down. What fear are we imposing on them? What boundaries are being set that they will have to deal with emotionally, psychologically and physically the rest of their lives even beyond quarantine days?

I’ve prepared a download that you can print copies from for each member of your family. It is simply designed with questions on a level for young elementary kids as well as the rest of the family. It would be ideal if each member fills theirs out and if you want to share, do that. Then seal each one in an envelope and place in their baby book (do people still do that?) or their “important” file.

I pray for us to come through this time with kinder actions, gentler words and deeper relationship with God. If we can guide our kids and grandkids with that goal, this will be a lesson well learned. This will be our legacy.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”     Deuteronomy 6:4-7 ESV

So, here’s to open doors, a new way of life, living our legacy and a better us!

Author: Janet Reeger

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