32 days more...


That's how one of my daughter-in-laws signed an e-mail that she sent to me the other day. It was a bit of a surprise to read the number. 32 days. Wow. I should have realized that was the number we were looking at and yet it seems so short.

32 days is not very long to
  • sort through our things (this stays in the apartment, this is to be packed, this goes with us on the plane, this goes to a friend, "what about this???",....)
  • figure out how to use up tomato paste, pasta, rice, BBQ sauce, pesto and Thai sauce sitting in the pantry
  • take care of all the paperwork that needs to be done for us to leave
  • spend time with friends
  • finish up organizing the church library here
  • visit all the rest of the places on "the list"
  • hike the rest of the Alps (okay these last two are impossible, but it's always fun to dream!)
I find that when I have a "big event" coming up, I am very careful in my use of my time. If it's 2 weeks before something a major event, I have my daily calendar printed up with lists of things that need to be accomplished each day. If it just a few hours until something happens, I've got the timer set to try to complete things in short increments.


And yet, at other times, I do have a "daily to do list," but I am apt to squander my time somewhat. I can allow the list to "fill the day" rather than complete the list and then see what else can be done. I can do the unimportant and leave the important undone. I can do what's more enjoyable rather than what I probably should be doing.

Of course, there is a balance that needs to be maintained. I can become so focused on a to do list that I lose sight of other things. Things that are often even more important than how I initially think I should use my time.


Time to linger in prayer or Bible study, time to be available to just listen to someone who is lonely or sad, time to ignore my "to do list" in order to minister to another, and the list could go on and on.

Time is somewhat like money. You can only spend each "amount" on one thing , but with time you can't "get a refund" if you realize you made a mistake! The hardest part about time is not that you don't have enough, but that you have to choose how to use it. Do I follow through on my plan today or make a change in this instance? Do I stick with the plan and say "no?" Do I rest for a bit or push myself hard? Not every "opportunity" that presents itself is truly the wise choice to make.

Oh Lord, with David I say,
"So teach us (me, Lord, me) to number our days,
that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom."
(Ps. 90:12)

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