While driving yesterday a young man crashed his car in front of us. It was like watching a movie trailer. All we could do was watch it unfold before us. We had no control to help him in any way. His car flipped and turned and soon landed upside down. I sat in horror as my husband said, "Call 911." As I pushed in the numbers we all ran up to the car. I wasn't sure what we would see. This young man's car was totalled. But, by the grace of God, this young crawled out of his car without a scratch on him. I stood in awe and with tears. While back in the car I prayed for this young man. I prayed for his life ahead of him. Would he now think he had a second chance? Would he now sit and ponder, "What if?"
As a whole, people of today, love to talk about how busy we are. We love to say we have no time. Take out everything that isn't about us and all the unnecessary, I think we might be surprised at just how much time we really do have. Take off the hours spent at the computer. In front of the television. At the tanning bed or the salon. How many times do we stop and grab ourselves a cup of coffee, when instead we could stop off at a friend's house and share a cup with them? We plan our lives months in advance and we cancel out on the very people trying so hard to love us. To be with us. To just have lunch and share a conversation. Do you know what it says when we tell another, "I'm busy?" We are simply stating, "I don't have time for you." Plain and simple. We make time for the important things in our life.
Sure, we work all week and we want the weekend to ourselves. Did Jesus have any time off? I don't see where he took vacation after vacation to get away. He might have had an inner circle surrounding Him, but He spent His entire life reaching out beyond that circle. That circle was to encourage Him and in that circle He encouraged those following Him to continue on the message of hope. Now, don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with taking a vacation. In fact, that is down right special, but lets not skip out on all those who are trying to love us. What if instead of leaving behind all those reaching out to us and those who need reaching, we dove in head first meeting everyone with a smile and a hug of grace? What if we made our day about someone else, instead of our self?
What message are we giving others? What if we stopped being in such a rush? What if we really stopped making life all about us? If we really focus on Christ and surrender to Him, He isn't going to call us to wrap ourselves in our own desires. He wants us out there in the world doing His work. We all have people around us who are hurting. Where is the love we are suppose to be sharing with others?
How many times have we picked up the phone this week to just check in with a friend? Send a card letting someone know they are in your thoughts? Grabbing the hand of another and praying with them? It all begins with letting go of our selfishness. The phone rings or we get a text and what do we do? We think, "Gosh, who is calling me now? I don't have time to talk." Well, what do you have time for?
I know we all have families. Gosh, my husband and I raised five children. He worked as I stayed home and home schooled our kids and wow, was life busy. Now we no longer have five children running around our home, but life is still busy. I can always find something that needs to be done. I must be honest. I refuse to put "Things" in front of my family and friends. I will not tell another that I am too busy to chat or too busy to visit. Five minutes. Do we have five minutes to give to another? I mean come on. We don't call others back. We don't give. Plain and simple. That message implies, "My time is more precious than yours." Life is so precious. We take it for granted don't we? We like to think we don't, but we do. We feel as though after we get done with all our stuff we will then schedule in time for our extended family and friends. What if tomorrow never comes? What if today is all you have? Do those people around you know how much you love them? Do they feel as if they are part of your life? More so, do they feel important to you?
Maybe you just really don't understand the value of life until you lose a loved one. But even then, time goes on, doesn't it? We still get wrapped up in our life. We place sports and events in front of those we love. We place every activity under the moon in front of those we love. I gotta tell you, I have been trying to get together with friends for a long time now. After a while you just kind of give up. Why keep asking, "Do you want to have lunch?" It hurts after awhile, doesn't it? Oh sure, we hear the usual, "I'm really busy", but then you see them and life doesn't seem so busy for them. Again, we are busy with what we want to be busy with. We are all guilty of this. Whether in our families, our friends or our church life. We turn away from others more than we are turning toward them. Think about that for a bit. Let that soak in and it will begin to make sense.
Yesterday I was blessed to sit down with a lovely friend yesterday. A woman who gives her time and love to those around her. A woman who reminded me to never give up. To not walk on egg shells, or be afraid to step on toes. Sometimes things simply need to be said. When we wrap ourselves so tightly within our own shell can Jesus even get in? If we are so busy with stuff and preparing for next month can He really use us for today? If we are willing vessels for Him, we gotta give up the stuff and more importantly give up the time for others. We gotta give up me in order to see all of God.
May we not have to live in what ifs and if onlys. May we not have to lose a loved one in order to wake up and realize how special time really is. Take time today and reach to a family member you haven't spoken with for a long time. Give your mom a call. Send your dad a card. Give that friend a text. If we don't start reaching out we will one day sit back with time passed and say, "I wasted a lot of time that I should have been living for the Lord." How better would life be to know that one day when we do see Christ face to face we will have used up every ounce of blessings He gave us and spent our time wisely? Just something to think about..I think we just might be surprised with what God can do in five minutes if we will only give it up.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
