Make Life Worth Your Time
Not long ago a lady from church passed away. She, in many ways, was my surrogate mother. My own mom passed over twenty years ago. She was kind, accepting, non-judgmental, thoughtful and loving beyond belief, yet she was real. Her heart was good! But living is also about dying. She lived a long life, but still, death is inescapable.
We mourn her death, our loss, even though we know she’s in a much better place. She wasn’t a movie star, or wealthy, left no financial legacy, but she made life worth her time because she loved. Everyone she met loved her back. She made an indelible mark on all who knew her. And that’s how it should be.
Another friend of mine learned recently he has heart disease—late stage heart disease. We have no idea how long he will remain among us. But he, too has lived a life, worth his time. He has many grandchildren who love to spend time with him, to help him with projects and learn from him. It’s what makes him so special! He, too, has left a legacy that has nothing to do with money!
As our children grow and ultimately leave the nest, we often reflect about the short amount of time we really have them. One friend realized her ‘loss’ just a few months before her daughter was leaving for college. She cleared her busy schedule to make memories! They had long talks, baked cookies, went out to movies and did other fun things that leave lasting impressions.
Time takes on a different perspective for parents with children who have disabilities. For them time is a verb, because they are dedicated 24/7 to their child. Even here, time is a precious commodity. These amazing children have so much to offer, and outsiders rarely are able to totally grasp the depth and width of what is given to a child with disabilities!
Their lives however, when blended with other children’s lives offer even more treasure since each can grow exponentially. Time spent together, both disabled and non-disabled encourages relationships which impact each child into adulthood.
Sometimes life has a way of skewing our perspective of priorities of who and what is important. It isn’t about how many material possessions you can collect. Our possessions are just going to remain in whatever place you last left them, when you pass from this life anyway. It’s the relationships with other folks that matters. It’s what we do with the ‘time’ we have that’s really important. Time can’t be put in a bank and drawn on for later. Every minute matters, now!
I encourage to shake the ‘chains of working to the brink’ which creates the risk of shattering a relationship with your spouse, children, parents and even friends. Once a person passes there is no time to go back and catch up.
Make your life worth your time. Think about the legacy you leave behind. Spend precious moments with those you care about and who care about you. Spend time with the parents of a disabled child and allow your young ones to spend time with a child different from his peers who often feels alone, rejected and forgotten. This is a legacy, not measured in money, but in what matters most: relationships.
Photo Credit: https://pixabay.com/images/search/time/