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Time
in a Box |
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I have a coffee mug at work
that says, "God put me on earth to accomplish a certain number of
things. As it stands now, I'll live forever!" We live in the tension of
feeling there's never enough time even though we await an eternity with Jesus.
Well known Christian author Lewis Smedes shares in How Can It Be Alright When
Everything Is All Wrong?, the following insight into wise stewarding our
time: |
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"I
bought a brand new date book yesterday, the kind I use every year--spiral
bound black imitation leather cover wrapping around pages and pages of blank
squares. Each square has a number to tell me which day of the month I am in
at the moment. Each square is a frame for one episode of my life. |
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"Before
I am through with the book, I will fill the squares with classes I will
teach, people with whom I will eat lunch, everlasting committees I will sit
through, and these are only the things I cannot afford to forget. I fill the
squares, too, with things I don't write down for me to remember--hundreds of
cups of coffee, some praying, and gestures of help to my neighbors. Whatever
I do, it has to fit inside one of those squares in my date book. |
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"I live
one square at a time. The four lines that make the square are the walls of
time that organize my life. Everything I do has to fit into one square. I cannot
straddle the lines. Each square has an invisible door that leads to the next
square. At a silent stroke, the door opens and I am pulled through it, as if
by a magnet, sucked into the next square in the line. There I will again fill
the time frame that seals me, fill it with my busyness, just as I did the
square before. |
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"As I
get older the squares seem to get smaller. One day I will walk into a square
that has no door. There will be no mysterious opening and no walking into an
adjoining square. One of the squares will be terminal. I do not know which
square it will be. So I must fill each square as wisely as I can." |
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That final, enclosed square
reminds us that our time in this world eventually runs out. When that fateful
day arrives we'll be called home in glory...Praise God! Will you be able to
report to your Forever Friend that the time He entrusted to you was wisely
invested in building His kingdom? Having discerned His will for your unique
ministry, was time taken to seize the opportunity? Did you give of your time
to love others as Jesus loves you? Will the sweet words we all long to hear, "Well
done good and faithful servant." cascade over you? |
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As we surrender our time unto
the Lord and are intentional in stewarding it on His behalf, God can use this
simple yet profound offering for His purposes and for our blessing! |
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Offering our time in service
together, |
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The Stewardship Commission |
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