Emotion Meets Stewardship: Time

Last week Friday started with it’s normal routine. I got up and helped Mindy and Jacob get out the door. Gavin, Abby and I proceeded to get ready as well. Before we left for the gym, I decided to decorate one more pumpkin. We came home for lunch, I laid Abby down for a nap, and then began working on my chili for the chili cook-off that night at Word of Life’s Trunk or Treat. As I was trying to pack the car with our trunk or treat decorations, and remember to put all the costumes in for the kids, I was also putting the finishing touches on my chili to make sure it was perfect. When we got to Word of Life, I finally got to sit down as I handed out candy to the kids. I got to chill. It was hard to believe how fast the day went. After not even coming close to winning the chili cook-off, I debated whether or not it was worth my time to enter with all the rushing around I had to do to get it done.

Life is like that. We fill our time with all kinds of things, and then ask where did the time go. We find ourselves processing how to best use our time and how to prioritize the things that God would want us to have in our life. Somehow, we find hours wasted on television, smart phones, reading a pointless book, a project that doesn’t work out, or even a relationship that doesn’t seem appreciated. A long time ago I got lessons from people in my life on how to prioritize my time, but so often I was too focused on my own selfish desires to listen.

Psalm 90 may seem a lot more like Ecclesiastes than Psalms. It has more of a wisdom perspective about what we do with the time God gives us. We see moments in Scripture where people questioned the time Jesus spent on different things, but in the large scheme of His overall purpose, we can see how Jesus was following a specific redemptive plan. This weekend we will talk about how to spend our time, and how can we be the best stewards of time, appreciating it for the gift that is.

This past Sunday I finished morning services and took a short lunch break before I led the Easy Access Service. I left right afterwards and headed to Meremac Bluffs to attend an All Saints Day Service with Mindy’s family. We all went out to dinner after the service and talked for a couple hours. As I headed home with the kids, preparing myself for their bedtime routine, I was thinking about how I was ready to change clothes and relax. That’s when I got the call from the hospital that Al Roehm was about to go to heaven. The chaplain actually had to tell me to drive safely because he could hear the hurriedness in my voice. I dropped the kids off with Mindy (we had taken different cars and she made it home first), quickly made sure they were good, and then rushed out. I rushed to the hospital praying, “Dear Jesus, let me get there before you take Al home with you.” I debated whether or not I would have time to stop and get the communion kit. When I arrived at the hospital room, I found Mazi and Jim talking with Al as his heart and breathing began to slow. We had moments to reflect and pray, then Al went home to Jesus. I certainly wanted more time with Al, but God did answer my prayer so that I could see him.

Whether it’s the trivial times like chili cook-offs or the more serious end of life moments, time is important. Time is a gift. Why is that so easy to forget? When we say goodbye to friends or loved ones we remember it even more. In Scripture, we see how God teaches us through the stories of His people, their love of Jesus and their passion to share it. In our lives, we see how loved ones teach us as well as they grow in the love of Jesus. It is an amazing gift to us to see Jesus living in them.

Al had a unique way of appreciating time. He was diligent, but he wasn’t rushed, and he evaluated how to best use his time. He knew the small moments, like giving compliments, were worth the time that Jesus had given him. Over the last several years as Al wore hats that proclaimed his age. He may have been sharing a lesson that God had taught him, one that we can take with us. Time is precious. Time is a blessing. Time is a gift. For Al, 92 years was a lot of moments to treasure and share the greatest message of all – Jesus is our Savior. How will you use your time?