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Writer's pictureMichael Staton

(August 8) "I Thought I Had More Time"

I thought I had more time!


Like most evenings, I went to bed entirely too late last night. It seems I often promise myself in the morning that I will get to sleep earlier that coming night, but it rarely happens.


Early this morning a massive clap of thunder woke me up. I was a bit groggy and a lot tired. I did what we all do when we wake up in the middle of the night...I nervously turned my eyes toward the clock to see how what time it is. Some days I am eager to get up and start the day. Other mornings, like today, when I went to sleep a bit late, I hope the clock reveals I have more time to sleep.


3:31!!!!!!!!! I was excited. I still had a couple of hours to go back to sleep. "This day is off to a terrific start," I said to myself. Then, as I rolled back over, a question came to mind. Was the time on my clock flashing? I feared it was. I turned back over. Oh no! The dreaded flashing time. This, of course, meant that at some point in the night the electricity had gone out and the time on my clock was not accurate.


I decided to check the time on my phone to see what time it ACTUALLY was now. 7:00 am! Groan! I went from having a couple of hours to sleep to needing to get up right away.


I thought I had more time.


Then, it struck me how often that very sentence is spoken. Every parent says this sentence as their little child starts Kindergarten and will be gone all day. This is the statement made by moms and dads as they move their son or daughter into the college dorm room and then have the dreaded walk back to their car. This is uttered by everyone who has a chance to know their life is at the end. Time is sneaky. There is never as much of it as we like to think. "I thought I had more time."


I turned 45 two weeks ago. I jokingly told people I was "halfway to 90." Then, it occurred to me how incorrect that probably was to say. There is no guarantee I will make it to 90. In fact, the average lifespan in America is 79. So, unless I live 13% longer than the average American, I am not halfway to 90. The reality is that I may well have lived far more than half my life. I have no way of knowing.


I thought I had more time.


All of this brings me to Ephesians 5:15-16 which says, "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil." The world in which we live is difficult, and we must live in wisdom. One of the ways we can live in wisdom is to make the best use of time.


Making wise use of time does not rule out vacations, naps, watching a football game, or sitting on the porch. There is nothing wrong with recreation and leisure. We do need to ask ourselves, however, if we are making the wisest use of the time we have.


Generally speaking, we do not worry too much about time because we always think we have so much of it left. The life lessons with the kids can wait...there is plenty of time. Telling that person how much you appreciate them? No hurry, you have lots of time. Reading the Bible through...sharing the gospel...living a sold-out life for Christ? Why rush.? You have nothing but time. Until you don't.


Many people come to the end of their life, and they think exactly what went through my mind this morning: I thought I had more time.


Psalm 90:12 says, "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." So make the most of your day. Live for Christ today. Tell those you love what they mean to you. Invest in your children. Use the gift of time wisely this day.

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