Take Time To Make Time
“If you are rushed for time, sow time and you will reap time. Go to church and spend a quiet hour in prayer. You will have more time than ever and your work will get done. Sow time with the poor. Sit and listen to them, give them your time lavishly. You will reap time a hundredfold.” ~ Dorothy Day
“I don’t have time.” I have heard that over and over again from many people when asked if they would help in some ministry, visit the shut-in, teach Religious Ed, and the like. “I don’t have the time. I’m too busy.”
I get it. I really do. Ever since I was ordained a priest, I have not had enough time in any day. There always seems to be more to do than what can get done. Yet, when I start on tasks, I whittle them down one by one and find that I still have time left for myself at the end of the day.
I think that is one of God’s gifts. God looks for us to say “Yes” to His will. If we say yes, no matter how difficult the task, God provides us what we need — time, material, support, et cetera — to accomplish His will. He does not leave us hanging. He always provides.
One of the mistakes that I made very early on in my priesthood was not taking time to pray. There were some days that I looked at what needed to be done and I told myself, “I don’t have the time.” So, I would look at ways to make a little time in my schedule and one of the things that would often get shaved down was my prayer time. Instead of beginning the day with a sufficient amount of time to pray and reflect, I jumped right into the day.
You can imagine what happened on those days. Everything fell apart. There was no connection. I felt hurried and stressed. Things did not get accomplished. If, on the other hand, I started the day with prayer and reflection, no matter how impossible it seemed, I was able to get everything done.
Heed Day’s advice. If you are rushed for time today, stop, take time to pray, and then go about your day. The time you take to communicate with God will give you the grace and fortitude necessary to face the day and accomplish its many tasks.
Pray. Go to church. Help someone in need. Taking the time to do those things will, in turn, open up the time you need for everything else. And, in the process, you will please God.
FAITH ACTION: Take time to make time today. It might sound counterintuitive; but, do it anyway. You may be pleasantly surprised.