I am reminded that it is fleeting. When we were children, it was a mystery. And when we’re older, we crave more. It is as dependable as the rising and setting of the sun. We keep tabs on it and cram too much into it. It promises celebrations and collects memories we can only revisit in our minds or pictures. You can never go back to it, relive it, or change it. Daily, it disappears.
Time: it was given to us so we might make the most of it. Some of us have a lot of it, and some don’t. And try as we might to outrun time, it eventually outruns us.
I once passed a lady wearing a sweatshirt that said, “Unforgettable.” It made me think: we are unforgettable, only for a brief moment in time, though, and only if we leave our circle better than we found it, with more love, grace, and mercy than it had; if we love, forgive, do good, and are faithful servants we make the most of our opportunity to be “unforgettable.” Because let’s face it: time is fleeting, and it does forget us.
So, I am reminding myself to live each day to the fullest, not die in the ditch of triviality, because it won’t matter a month, year, or decade from now. It certainly won’t matter when we leave this place. Please don’t believe everything you hear or read; chances are it will only bring unpleasantness. Pray for the people you dislike. We don’t have to hang out with them, but Jesus was straightforward: “Love your enemies.”
Before time slips away, get up early and watch the sunrise, go on lots of walks, go to the aquarium or the zoo, stroll through a pretty garden, listen to the birds sing their pre-dawn chorus, sing loudly in your car, indulge in a decadent dessert, have coffee with a friend, talk to the stranger, or take the trip. And be as kind and patient as you can, especially when it’s hardest to do.
Time is fleeting. Tomorrow is uncertain. How can you make the most of today?
