I was driving home from work a day or two ago and this thought occurred to me: it's the middle of July!! Holy wow, when did that happen?!? Honestly, it feels like the last time I checked, it was the middle of May. Talk about a wake-up call.
As I reflect on that thought, a few more percolate within me. Time goes relatively fast, and our time on this earth is relatively short, all things considered. So if you put two and two together, you will probably find that life, more or less, happens in the blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things. Knowing that, how are we spending our time? Are we working so much that we neglect our family and friends? Are we going home after a day of work and sucking in a few hours too many of television? Are we actually trying to develop relationships with the people who mean the most to us? Are we refusing to start/continue something that could be beneficial in some way because we always seem to be lacking (or think we are lacking) enough time?
Every now and then, I am reminded in one way or another that time is precious. And, personally, it seems that with every passing day time is flying by faster and faster (so yes, I can begin to relate to the folks who are more advanced in years, compared to myself, who always say that time progresses more quickly as you get older). The beginning of this week has served as my latest reminder. So now I pose the question: how am I spending my time? Am I wasting it away on the temporal, or am I developing myself constructively and loving those around me? Am I actively pursuing a loving relationship with my Lord and Saviour? Am I spending valuable time with my family? Am I developing healthy relationships with the friends I care for the most? Am I being a good neighbor to all those with whom I come in contact? Am I preparing myself professionally for the impending phase of life after college (which, for me, starts next May)? The list of questions could go on and on...
How do you spend your time? The things we give our time to say a lot about us. Perhaps we all just need to take a step back for a minute and re-evaluate ourselves and how we apportion our time. I am more than sure that every one of us has at least some room for improvement.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
In Times of Hardship
Let's face it: this life is not a cakewalk. Some days are easier than others, of course, but there are always the inevitably tougher periods of time that have the potential to drain all traces of life out of you. Sometimes we are faced with extremely busy schedules where it seems as if we will never finish the never-ending task list on time. Other times we find ourselves in the midst of drastic life changes that have seemingly spawned from nowhere. Then there are the times when we experience tragedy and heartbreak and struggle miserably to try to put the pieces back together. The last of these three things can be especially difficult if they happen to come to mind in later years around the time of the original incident; experiencing even a little bit of the original sorrow is never enjoyable.
Through experiencing all of these things myself at one time or another, or by experiencing them with someone else, I have learned two very important lessons. The first is that no matter what happens, God will never forsake us and is always ready to receive us in a loving embrace to take away the pain, the fear, the worry... Christ dying for us proved the ultimate, unconditional love He has for us, and He desires for us to lean on Him and to take His yoke upon us. Christ offers us rest, comfort, peace, and everlasting love in all situations we experience. By placing our full trust in the Savior of the world, we can know that everything will turn out okay, even if current circumstances seem to suggest otherwise.
The second lesson I learned is that in addition to trusting in God, it is highly beneficial to have friends and family that you can turn to at any time for help and encouragement, no matter the experience. Suffering hardship alone is possibly the most difficult way to live through that tough time. Having a fellow human being that you can turn to can be a huge source of comfort. Being a shoulder to cry on or simply being a voice to talk things out can go a long way. Even answering your phone just for the sake of answering it so that the person on the other end can feel some kind of comfort in their distress through the mere sound of your voice can be more than enough in that moment. We were created to live relationally: we need to have each other's backs no matter what the situation. One simple expression of love, compassion, and care at a particular moment during a rough experience can make all the difference in a person's life.
There are many times in this life when we will feel weak and weighed down by the burdens that we face. It is important to remember, however, that Christ has you covered at all times. I really like the way the bridge of Elevation Worship's Give Me Faith puts it:
I may be weak, but Your Spirit's strong in me
My flesh may fail, but my God You never will
No matter what we are facing, we can always count on God to pull us through. It is also incredibly helpful to have trustworthy friends who are willing to encourage you, suffer along aside of you, and pick you up when you fall. The power of love can go a long way. Do not choose to suffer alone: rest in the love of Christ and be thankful for the friends and family in your life who will not abandon you when you need their company the most.
Through experiencing all of these things myself at one time or another, or by experiencing them with someone else, I have learned two very important lessons. The first is that no matter what happens, God will never forsake us and is always ready to receive us in a loving embrace to take away the pain, the fear, the worry... Christ dying for us proved the ultimate, unconditional love He has for us, and He desires for us to lean on Him and to take His yoke upon us. Christ offers us rest, comfort, peace, and everlasting love in all situations we experience. By placing our full trust in the Savior of the world, we can know that everything will turn out okay, even if current circumstances seem to suggest otherwise.
The second lesson I learned is that in addition to trusting in God, it is highly beneficial to have friends and family that you can turn to at any time for help and encouragement, no matter the experience. Suffering hardship alone is possibly the most difficult way to live through that tough time. Having a fellow human being that you can turn to can be a huge source of comfort. Being a shoulder to cry on or simply being a voice to talk things out can go a long way. Even answering your phone just for the sake of answering it so that the person on the other end can feel some kind of comfort in their distress through the mere sound of your voice can be more than enough in that moment. We were created to live relationally: we need to have each other's backs no matter what the situation. One simple expression of love, compassion, and care at a particular moment during a rough experience can make all the difference in a person's life.
There are many times in this life when we will feel weak and weighed down by the burdens that we face. It is important to remember, however, that Christ has you covered at all times. I really like the way the bridge of Elevation Worship's Give Me Faith puts it:
I may be weak, but Your Spirit's strong in me
My flesh may fail, but my God You never will
No matter what we are facing, we can always count on God to pull us through. It is also incredibly helpful to have trustworthy friends who are willing to encourage you, suffer along aside of you, and pick you up when you fall. The power of love can go a long way. Do not choose to suffer alone: rest in the love of Christ and be thankful for the friends and family in your life who will not abandon you when you need their company the most.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Reactions
Where in the world did spring break go!?!? It is truly amazing how fast that week can (and did) go by without noticing it. I suppose it was not all a blur, but wow. I am very thankful for the time I got spend with my family and friends. I even got a little homework done, but only what I absolutely needed to do; after all, it was spring break, meaning I had the right to be a little lazy...right? Of course! One of my favorite moments was right at beginning of break when I made a surprise visit to a friend of mine at work near the end of her shift. It was definitely a surprise, and it was simply great to visit and catch up. While it was a late night, it was totally worth it. There is nothing quite like the company of great friends, especially when they least expect it.
In this past week, certain thoughts had come to the forefront of my mind and decided to re-introduce a mental struggle of sorts. Generally, I tend to go a little crazy when there is a lot on my plate and simply do nothing because I cannot decided what to do first because everything seems to be equally trying to gain my attention. In regards to this past week, a particular circumstance (which, truth be told, was rather trivial) was just owning my thoughts and keeping me from being myself. I did not have a good reason to let this particular issue control my actions, but alas, that is exactly what happened. When you let some of the smaller things in this life overpower that which is more important, you will quickly find that you will not be as satisfied or content as you really should.
Somewhere in the middle of that mental battle, however, I was having a conversation with my Dad when he said something that I will not soon easily forget: "You cannot change the way things happen, but you can control how you react to them." Unfortunately, I forget the overall context of the conversation (but I do know it had nothing to do with that which I had been struggling), but that is besides the point. What my Dad said hit me right between the eyes; not only was this applicable to my current situation, but it is applicable to daily life in general. This life principle is truly a gem, and it is another reason why I cannot express how grateful I am for my Dad.
Life will constantly throw a myriad of circumstances our way, good and bad, and we will ultimately have little to no control over how those things come to pass. However, the way we choose to handle those circumstances can make all the difference in our lives. We can choose to wallow in a state of misery or perpetually complain about the undesirable situations. But will that get us anywhere? More than likely, no, it will not. The desirable experiences of this life are always easy to live out, but it tends to be the undesirable experiences that reveal our true colors. If we can be mature enough, strong enough, and faithful enough to react to any and all circumstances with a heart of purity and the desire to grow into the people God calls us to become, imagine how different the world could be.
In this past week, certain thoughts had come to the forefront of my mind and decided to re-introduce a mental struggle of sorts. Generally, I tend to go a little crazy when there is a lot on my plate and simply do nothing because I cannot decided what to do first because everything seems to be equally trying to gain my attention. In regards to this past week, a particular circumstance (which, truth be told, was rather trivial) was just owning my thoughts and keeping me from being myself. I did not have a good reason to let this particular issue control my actions, but alas, that is exactly what happened. When you let some of the smaller things in this life overpower that which is more important, you will quickly find that you will not be as satisfied or content as you really should.
Somewhere in the middle of that mental battle, however, I was having a conversation with my Dad when he said something that I will not soon easily forget: "You cannot change the way things happen, but you can control how you react to them." Unfortunately, I forget the overall context of the conversation (but I do know it had nothing to do with that which I had been struggling), but that is besides the point. What my Dad said hit me right between the eyes; not only was this applicable to my current situation, but it is applicable to daily life in general. This life principle is truly a gem, and it is another reason why I cannot express how grateful I am for my Dad.
Life will constantly throw a myriad of circumstances our way, good and bad, and we will ultimately have little to no control over how those things come to pass. However, the way we choose to handle those circumstances can make all the difference in our lives. We can choose to wallow in a state of misery or perpetually complain about the undesirable situations. But will that get us anywhere? More than likely, no, it will not. The desirable experiences of this life are always easy to live out, but it tends to be the undesirable experiences that reveal our true colors. If we can be mature enough, strong enough, and faithful enough to react to any and all circumstances with a heart of purity and the desire to grow into the people God calls us to become, imagine how different the world could be.
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