With the start of a new year, I’ve been thinking a little bit about the passage of time.
Outside, fall has fully given way to winter, and the passage of time steadily goes along. Inside, I feel like I’m fighting time. I want it sometimes to be faster, sometimes I want it to be slower. But time is not dictated by my wishes, and the seconds tick off with constant regularity. And even if I could change the speed of the passage of time, it probably won’t make things better. Time is slow enough for me to get adjusted to changes in the weather, changes to my kids, and changes in life. And yet time is fast enough for me not to get bored with things.
Time is one of the few things in life that can never be regained. If I lose my wallet, I can replace it. If some friends move away, I can go find new ones. If I lose my job, I can go find another. But, once something has passed from the present to the past, it can never again be reclaimed or replaced. It’s like I’ve been given 39,420,000 dollars for my life. And each minute I have to decide how to deposit a dollar in the many piggy banks placed in front of me. And when I run out, game over.
Perhaps because of the limited nature of time, it’s one of the most precious resources we have. It’s not like I need to be anxious about how I use my time cause I’ve been given plenty enough to not worry. But I do need to be wise about how I use my time and I can’t just squander it away.
I can’t just idly sit back and take time for granted. It’s a special gift to me and I need to wisely use every bit of it. I need to concentrate on what’s important and not just passively let it pass by. One day, I’ll be held accountable to the giver of time and asked to report how I used it. And so I need to be faithful and content with what is given to me.