The Irony of Time
How much of your life is dictated by time? I would imagine most of it. You were born at a specific time, and when it's time for your life on earth to end, the day and time of your departure will be recorded as well.
The milestones we strive for are all a mater of time: learning to talk and walk, longing for the time of "independence" when we can drive, waiting for love, marriage and kids, looking forward to retirement, etc.
While on one hand, we wait and plan for these momentous occasions, on the other hand, we never seem to have enough time to get all of the things on our list accomplished. It is indeed ironic that our life is comprised of the tug-of-war between waiting and fighting against time.
There are so many cliches about time, that I don't have time to discuss them all now, but consider for a moment the simple truth behind some of our most common expressions:
- It's only a matter of time
- No time like the present
- Take your time
- Enjoy the time
- Time heals all wounds
Yesterday was a great example of time spent, lost, wasted and recovered in my own life. The Freedom Celebration at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque was a huge outreach/celebration hosted by Calvary Albuquerque. My assignment on behalf of the radio station was to "man" the gazebo with Peter Benson, host of ABQ Connect on KNKT.
It was back in 1999 when I first met Peter. I had been hired at Calvary to do some writing and other tasks associated with the radio station. I served as the Producer for Peter's show, helping book guests, gathering topics, etc. However, I had a greater ambition. I wanted to be ON the radio, not working behind the scenes. The General Manager at the time said "no", and I ended up leaving to find another job.
Fast forward to 2015 and that same General Manager calls me to discuss a job working with him once again. I now had 8 years of on-air experience under my belt and was able to provide a great deal more maturity and professionalism than I had the first time around.
But back to yesterday for a moment. Trying to leave the stadium, I got into the station van and headed to the place where I had gained access to the walkway where I had parked. Blocking my exit was an unoccupied vehicle. It took nearly 45 minutes for the driver to come out and clear the path. Frustrated at the wasted time, all I could do was sit and wait.
Then this morning, reviewing the photos and comments of last night's event, I saw that 550 people had made a decision to give their lives to Christ. Suddenly, my wasted time doesn't seem so consequential anymore. You see, my "wasted" moments were utterly transformational to others.
The time between jobs, relationship and experiences are not just idle, they are the very substance of which our lives are comprised. I'm sure I will continue to be frustrated over various aspects of time, but I hope that the realization of just how precious this time is, comes quicker to my mind.
I wish you many blessings on your today, and bright hope for your future. When we celebrate our nation's Independence Day tomorrow, mark the milestone of freedom, spend your time wisely, and let the moments of fun, family and friendship be engraved upon your mind.