Time: Do We Ever Have Enough?

PSA – Don’t forget to check your clocks this Sunday (11/5) in the US – courtesy of www.goodhopeboardman.org

Well, its that time of the year again; the clocks “fall back” an hour this Sunday (11/5) in most parts of the US. We supposedly get back the hour of sleep we lost in March, when we moved the clocks forward. While I am sure we will all covet the extra hour of sleep, the question remains – “do we ever have enough time?”

How much do we value the time we have?

We always think we have plenty of time, and if you are like me you will end up rushing around like a maniac trying to get everything done you had planned. Some of that may be our nature to wait until the last minute; yet for others a constant stream of interruptions may delay us from focusing on our priorities. In any event we usually end up feeling exhausted and stressed even if we are able to address the priorities in our lives. Where does God fall in your life as a priority? Have you ever committed to prayer and at the end of the day you realize the day just got away from you and now you’re too tired to pray? I know that had been a problem for me for much of my life and sometimes we just need to take a step back and re-assess our priorities. I am reminded of the story of the rich farmer in the Bible (Luke 12:16-21):Parable of the Rich Fool.

16 Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. 17 He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ 18 And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods 19 and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry! 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ 21 Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.

He thought he had time and wasn’t prepared for when God came to take his life. Is he any different than you and I (besides being a rich farmer)?

Stay alert and be prepared!

For me, it always seems to be the personal items like prayer, getting to the gym, remembering to read that book that has been on your mind, etc. always seem to be the items that end up falling off the list. We can’t afford our relationship with God to be one of those items as was the case with the rich farmer. Build a structure around your prayer:

Set aside time each day for prayer and schedule it in your calendar if necessary. Find the time that works best for you. If it’s at night and prayer keeps falling off the list then move it. I have found that early in the morning before my day gets going is the best time for me, but that may not work for you.
If you are pressed for time take 5 minutes to say “Good Morning”, “Good Night”, or just “Thank You” to God. You may find that these 5 minutes help change your day. As this practice becomes a pattern, consider expanding it on some or all days.
It is ok to take 5 minutes during the day to simply relax and just look to God in that time. That prayer time could change the direction of your day. God is always there waiting for us to turn to Him.

So let’s use the time change this Sunday as a reminder to take time out of our incredibly busy schedules and give a portion of our day to God. While most devices will automatically adjust the hour this Sunday, not all will. I remember serving as a Eucharistic Minister at mass a number of years ago on “time change Sunday”. As mass ended, one of our Eucharistic Ministers came running in thinking she was late for the mass that just ended. This is why we need to change the devices that aren’t automatic the night before!!!

God Bless