It's About Time

I want to talk about time.

I remember when my son was little. He was a challenging baby. He only slept for 3/4hr day and night until he was coming up to his first birthday. He was crawling at five and a half months and walking at eight. I spent my waking hours exhausted. (I also now realise I was suffering from depression.) If I was dressed and had cleaned my teeth by the time my husband came home, I called it a win.

I spent a vast amount of that time wishing for time to move faster. When would he stop

breastfeeding? When would he amuse himself? When would he sleep through the night? When could he go to preschool? When would school take him all day?

I wanted to get to a moment when, I believed life would get easier. It never came, and I look back and wish I’d spent more of the time I had in the moment, really enjoying each challenge and marvelling at his incredible skills.

I think that’s why being a Nana is so much more relaxing. The challenges and behaviours are the same, but I have learnt a hard lesson, and I am making the most of every day I have with my granddaughter, because the time is coming when I won’t see her so often.

It’s coming fast.

You’ve probably heard the question: If you knew today would be your last, what would you do with it?

Visit loved ones and tell them what they mean to you? Spend all your money? Open that bottle of wine you’ve been saving for a special occasion?

COVID taught us that death can come at any age. Trump has reminded us that a madman can usher in WW3 with the flick of a button.

Time is not an endless commodity. It has an end date.

I think it behoves us all to consider the time we have and how we are going to use it. Personally, I want to make the world a better place by being in it. I want to make a difference in the lives of the people I meet. I want to use my talents and resources for the betterment of the world; to bring hope and light in a dark, evil time.

And that wouldn’t change if today was my last day. I hope all the people who matter know how much I love them, because I tell them all the time. I’m not going to fritter my money away when my husband, son, and granddaughter could use it after I am gone. As for the wine, well, that might have to be uncorked, just in case.

I have an added security about my time. It is not subject to the will of an idiotic president, or the random mutation of a pathogen. As long as I have work to do on this earth, I will continue to live. Every one of my breaths is counted by God. Only he gets to decide when my time here is done.

After that? Then the rest I have yearned for comes. The peace. No more crying, or pain, or tears. No more death. Only an eternity in the company of those who believe. My grandson, Isaac, waits for me there, and I can’t wait to meet him. Good friends who have gone before me will welcome me home. I will see Jesus face to face. There’s a lot to look forward to.

Be warned. Time – your time and the time of this creation – has an end date. I believe it is coming very soon. Make sure you spend what you have on the things that will last.

The Bible says, “People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgement.” (Heb 9:27) If you don’t know what that judgement will be, you’d best find out pretty quickly.

Because time is running out.