Spending
Time Wisely
One of our most
valuable resources is time. We’re reminded of that frequently, as everyone
seems to have a suggestion for how we should spend it. Once, my husband and I
were involved in a home based retail business that involved a lot of effort in
contacting others to earn what was called “point value” or PV for short. An
associate who invited me to her house had a sign taped to the remote control
that said “No PV in TV”. No rest for those in pursuit of the almighty dollar.
A speaker at a
luncheon I attended recently asked us if we were too busy to be productive. His strategy- be sure that each task you take
on is contributing to your ultimate goal, by either making a positive move
toward that goal, or researching and preparing for it. I agree that some of the
work we do is counter- productive, and we sometimes spend too much time with
our wheels stuck, throwing up mud. But, there is also value in down time.
Often, when it might look we’re doing the least, we’re actually accomplishing
the most.
I’ve heard that
puzzles like crosswords and Words with Friends are like aerobics for the brain.
So, if I walk around with a pencil (or my new I-phone) in my hand and a faraway
look in my eyes, maybe I’m really battling early dementia. I also have ways to let my mind rest by
keeping my hands busy with cross-stitch or creating a scrapbook page. I’ll
wager that when I’m called home to heaven, somewhere in my house you’ll find
one unfinished puzzle, one embroidered work in progress, and a group of
pictures laid out ready to be glued into a book. Busywork? Not in my opinion.
Our First Lady’s
initiative called Let’s Move focuses on 60 minutes of vigorous activity a day for
kids. That would mystify our grandparents. When did they ever have to coerce a
kid to go out and play? Somewhere along the way, playing outside was seen as a
waste of time that could have been spent on academics. So now, we have a generation
of very intelligent, obese people. On my way to work every day, I pass a track
next to a school that’s usually full of people of all ages and sizes, just out
there moving. Not one bit of wasted time there.
Sometimes, we
baffle others with the way we spend our time. A reader responded to last
month’s request for a love story with a
tale about a Valentine that took a lot
of her time and effort. It seems that she and her favorite beau were courting
long distance. She lived in Southeast Kansas, and he lived in Little Rock.
Always on the lookout for a new way to
spark his interest, she learned that a post office in Romance, Arkansas would
postmark a card and send it with a special commemorative stamp. Very creative, right?
She followed their directions, and got everything taken care of in time for
Cupid’s big day. Well, when the missive
reached its destination, the gentleman couldn’t fathom how and why she had
driven right past the city he lived in to drop a letter in the mail, instead of
delivering it in person. She, of course was not familiar with the geography of
his native state, and certainly didn’t mean to cause mayhem. As they looked
back, it was probably a good indication of what he was getting into. This was
no ordinary, run of the mill lady. Their relationship only got more interesting
as time went by.
When were
children, our time was controlled by others. Parents, teachers and coaches
scheduled every bit of our time. As adults, we make our own decisions. How we
budget our 24hours per day says a lot about who we are. Christians know that
their deeds brand them. A wise investment of time in this world will, we
believe, pay rewards in another world. Our inspiration comes from the Man who
said, “I was hungry and you gave me food, sick or in prison and you visited me.”
Time spent serving others is time spent serving Him.
You have
millions of choices, lots of ways to spend your time. What works for you may
not make sense to someone else. Give it some thought, and don’t waste a minute!
