Today is the Day ...

If you're like me, time ticks by too quickly and the turn of the calendar from month to month happens in the blink of an eye. We aren't aware of time, though, until we "think" it stands still. For most of us, we live life going about our daily routines and attempting to accomplish all that we've piled on our plates. Until something is thrown on the calendar that causes us to unplug from what we consider the norm, I don't think we pay much attention to this thing called time.

Here's a few facts about time:

1) We are all given 24 hours in one day. Although many of us (self included) try and cram a few extra hours in there ... time has been set and we are each given 24 hours before a new day dawns. Time zones don't change this fact. There are 24 hours in one day. No more, no less.

2) Time never stops. Even though circumstances cause our lives to "stand still" or unplug from our normal routines or situations, time does keeps on ticking.

3) Our priorities dictate what we do with the 24 hours in each day that we are given.

Case in point:

Sleep is not a huge priority for me. If I get 6 solid hours a night, I am good to go. For others, they will swap hours with something less important so they can catch more Z's. Exercise is VERY important, so I'll give up TV time in order to make time for it. Time with family is huge to me ... so I'm willing to sacrifice "self" time in order to spend time with loved ones. What we do with our day speaks volumes about who we are and what is important to our lives. There will be times in our lives when our priorities suddenly change, and times when what we thought mattered, matters not. Life is funny that way.

King Solomon spoke specifically of this mystery called time in the book of Ecclesiastes. I especially love the New Living Translation of Chapter Three, verses 1-8:

There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven.

A time to be born and a time to die.

A time to plant and a time for harvest.

A time to kill and a time to heal.

A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.

A time to cry and a time to laugh.

A time to grieve and a time to dance.

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.

A time to embrance and a time to turn away.

A time to search and a time to lose.

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to tear and a time to mend.

A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.

A time to love and a time to hate.

A time for war and a time for peace.

I've learned a good lesson recently about the importance of time and making it count. I've learned that giving up my time for the sake and good of someone else really is worth something. I've learned through the loss of a loved one that yesterday is gone, tomorrow isn't promised and that I only have today and that God wants me to make today count.

Friends, we have 24 hours in this day. What will we do with the time given to us? We can't steal time from what's already ticked by and we can't borrow time from what hasn't been given to us yet. We have today ... we have this moment in time to make it count.

"God has made everything beautiful for its own time." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

The Sting

Okay, so I know you're wondering what in the heck I'm doing with a picture of a wasp on my blog and why would I bother to write a whole entry based on these scary insects, right?

Well, truth of the matter is ... I'm scared to death of them. Seriously. As far back as I can remember, I have always feared them. Maybe it's the big bulging eyes, or the long dangling legs OR the fact those legs stick to whatever they land on. It could be the loud buzzing noise they make when they are coming in for a landing or just doing a fly-by. And since I know their sting is worse than their song, I just steer clear of them at all costs. As a matter of fact, I can vividly remember running away from the swingset when my daughter was about two years old (sorry, Ashley), leaving her to fend for herself. I was a horrible mother.

As much as I love spring, what it brings with it is a fresh batch of wasps who have been couped up all winter long just waiting to get out there and scare the heck out of folks. I think wasps are like horses, too. They know when we are afraid. I think they laugh their heads off when we run (okay, when I run) and swing my arms and scream. Whoever said, "Just be still and they won't bother you" has totally lost their mind. Trust me ... they WILL bother you. There were created to bother us.

Just today, I had so much "conflict" with wasps. They were everywhere. Maybe I'm just more sensitive to them right now, but I swear ... no matter where I went or what I did, a wasp was flying by or hovering around and it was a solid reminder how something so small, has the potential to not only hurt so bad, but have a huge impact on how I live. Sitting in the yard, I ended up going inside until it moved away from my chair. As I walked, I began to RUN in order to get away from one. I couldn't get my car windows up fast enough as I waited in traffic and saw one buzzing the car in front of me. Ridiculous, I know ... but true.

I think there are some big spiritual parallels to this as well ... but I'll save that for another blog.

Bottom line: I hate wasps. I hate that I'm afraid of them. But I've got my can of Raid and I'm determined to face them head on. And if one lands on me and I die of a heart attack before it stings me, you have a good laugh at my funeral, okay?