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)