Time In A Bottle
“NOW”…It has a certain sense of urgency – a sense of finality – of opportunity lost. Time is a commodity that can never be regained. A recent event has reminded me of this in a monumental way. My middle daughter, Lauren, just graduated from the 8th grade. The ceremony was short and sweet and I am proud of my daughter’s accomplishments.
I spent a good deal of time Saturday driving Lavon from graduation party to graduation party. This too reminded me that time is limited. Lavon is a Junior and will graduate in 2007. In a little over one year, my little girl will leave home…perhaps for the last time.
Jim Croce recorded a song titled “Time in a Bottle”, where he opined, “…there never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do once you find them”. We spend our days doing what is necessary. We do them because the bills need to be paid, the house needs to be maintained, kids need to get from place to place, ballgames need to be played (after all, baseball is the greatest game on Earth!), and our jobs take up the biggest part of our day. These things take us away from family and other important things.
…and time marches on.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth.” (The Message). Too often we use that time to do the things that are necessary and forget about the things that are important. Writer and poet Annie Dillard, noted that, “how we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” So I have to ask myself if I am spending my time wisely? Am I spending the time necessary with my family before they leave and it is too late? Am I spending too much time at work? Am I teaching my children the things they will need to know to grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man? Do I concentrate on spending more time with my daughter before she leaves, or allow her to get a job and gain valuable experience that will teach her hard work, responsibility to others, and how to manage the money she would make?
…and time marches on.
Andy Warhol said that , “They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” Sometimes I feel like Martha, and at other times like Mary (Luke 10:38-42). How do I prioritize between what is necessary and what is needed? In the end, we all have to make those decisions that we think will have an everlasting impact on our lives and the lives of those we love.
…and time marches on.
We all want to leave a legacy – something by which we will be remembered – to make a lasting impression on our families and our world. But often time works against us. Perhaps Captain Jean-Luc Picard said it best when he said, “Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived.” (from the film "Star Trek: Generations")(I know, no matter how much time passes, I will always be a Trekkie geek). And so we make decisions, make sacrifices, and try to give our kids a better life than we had instead of sharing with them the lives we live now.
If only I could save time in a bottle…
I spent a good deal of time Saturday driving Lavon from graduation party to graduation party. This too reminded me that time is limited. Lavon is a Junior and will graduate in 2007. In a little over one year, my little girl will leave home…perhaps for the last time.
Jim Croce recorded a song titled “Time in a Bottle”, where he opined, “…there never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do once you find them”. We spend our days doing what is necessary. We do them because the bills need to be paid, the house needs to be maintained, kids need to get from place to place, ballgames need to be played (after all, baseball is the greatest game on Earth!), and our jobs take up the biggest part of our day. These things take us away from family and other important things.
…and time marches on.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth.” (The Message). Too often we use that time to do the things that are necessary and forget about the things that are important. Writer and poet Annie Dillard, noted that, “how we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” So I have to ask myself if I am spending my time wisely? Am I spending the time necessary with my family before they leave and it is too late? Am I spending too much time at work? Am I teaching my children the things they will need to know to grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man? Do I concentrate on spending more time with my daughter before she leaves, or allow her to get a job and gain valuable experience that will teach her hard work, responsibility to others, and how to manage the money she would make?
…and time marches on.
Andy Warhol said that , “They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” Sometimes I feel like Martha, and at other times like Mary (Luke 10:38-42). How do I prioritize between what is necessary and what is needed? In the end, we all have to make those decisions that we think will have an everlasting impact on our lives and the lives of those we love.
…and time marches on.
We all want to leave a legacy – something by which we will be remembered – to make a lasting impression on our families and our world. But often time works against us. Perhaps Captain Jean-Luc Picard said it best when he said, “Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived.” (from the film "Star Trek: Generations")(I know, no matter how much time passes, I will always be a Trekkie geek). And so we make decisions, make sacrifices, and try to give our kids a better life than we had instead of sharing with them the lives we live now.
If only I could save time in a bottle…
Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16
posted by Carl Wheeler at 2:33 AM
1 Comments:
Great thoughts, brother! It's hard to belive those tiny little toddlers of yours are so grown up. Though it is technically impossible, it seems like the high school years pass faster than all the others. Our youngest will be a freshman next year. The oldest graduated from college earlier this month.
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