What Will You Do With The Time That You Have?

8 Aug

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” ~ Michael Althsuler

Anyone who knows me knows that one of the things I speak of so often is the passing of time.  When I was younger, as with most of us, it seemed that time took forever.  I was always waiting for things to come about, holidays to arrive, and the like.  My parents would always try to console me and tell me to be patient and to enjoy it while it lasted because, as you got older, time would fly.  I would laugh at them for such a foreign concept.

As I began to age, I found that the concept was not so foreign after all.  There were instances when something arrived much quicker that I anticipated.  As I got even older, time accelerated significantly.  At my present age, I am beginning to think that time is accelerating geometrically.

Yes.  Time flies.  And for many of us, that is bad news.  Things often come about too quickly.  However, as Michael Althsuler indicated, while time flies, we are the pilot.  We are the ones in charge of how we approach time and how we utilize time.  It is incumbent upon us to make sure that we stay in command of time rather than allow it to take control of us.

It is all a matter of perspective.  Some people complain about their days.  They can recite, hour by hour, what is expected, what will be happening, and what they need to do.  The problem with that is that they are passive.  They let the day happen to them.

Instead, they need to look at the opportunity of the day.  What can they contribute at that meeting?  What can they get from that experience?  How can they motivate the people on their team?

It is the same way with our faith.  Some people are extremely passive.  They go to Mass because it is expected.  They fast because it is a requirement.  They go to sacraments when obliged.  There is not much to be gained from that.  And, when we use that approach, time seems to go on forever.

Instead, we need to look at the opportunity that awaits us in the practice of our faith.  There is so much to be gained by the reception of the sacraments.  How can we use the grace we get from them to better our lives and those around us?  There is so much awaiting us at Mass.  How many people can we meet to share our faith?

When we engage actively with our faith, time flows much more smoothly and we anticipate the time that will come when time will no longer matter.

FAITH ACTION:  Ask God to change your perspective today from “have to” to “want to”.