Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Time Well Spent

Each day we are given 24 hours (or "gifts", if you will) and we get to decide how to spend those hours (gifts.) Now I realize for many many people who have jobs, you don't have a lot of choice, you HAVE to go to work and can't simply just decide to stay home, but for the remainder of those hours (gifts) left in the day, you get to choose how to spend them.
VERY VERY early this morning, Darrel woke up with what appeared to be food poisoning. He was in pretty bad shape all night long. Unfortunately, it was to be THIS morning that I was to go pick up my granddaughter Natalie, in Jax, to have what we call "Yaya & Natalie Day" together. At 7:00 a.m., I felt sick inside knowing that Darrel was so sick and that I didn't need to leave him to take off to get Nat. I had to call my daughter-in-law and tell her I wouldn't be there as planned this morning and I just hated it as I knew Nat would be so disappointed. Thankfully, as the morning wore on, Darrel began to at least be able to talk coherently and felt well enough that by early afternoon, I could leave him. I called my daughter-in-law and told her that I WOULD be able to come get Nat, at least for a few hours, and that I was on the way.
THe older I get, the more I realize what the phrase "time well spent" really means. THIS was one of those times. Each day we have the choice how we will spend those hours (gifts) and I'm so glad that I was able to go get my granddaughter and enjoy a few hours at the mall with her along with her favorite Teryaki Chicken in the food court! She had a ball and didn't really mind at all if we only got a few hours together, she was just glad Yaya had come at all. Isn't that really what "time well spent" really means....that no matter how short or long the "time" is, it's just that we spend it wisely, doing things that matter and that will last. Today mattered to her and I'm so glad I didn't have to let her down. Also had the opportunity to see my handsome grandson Bradlie, (who has gorgeous hair by the way!!!) who enters high school this year. Remember Brad..."choose your friends wisely!!!" He says he's not nervous about high school but I think he's fibbing a bit.
Anyway...today was a good day and those feelings of dis....connection are beginning to slowly go away. It feels good inside to know that I used my gifts of time wisely today, doing something that counted. Thank you God for the 24 gifts you give us every day. Thank you for grandchildren and the opportunities to sow seeds of YOU into their lives.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Praise God the Dis...connection is fading! Barb...about 4 years ago, I had worked 10 years for Baptist in L & D, I wasn't unhappy there but was offered a job by some physicians that I really respected and so I made a decision (without truly consulting God) to go and work 5 days a week (instead of 2)with the doctors...prior to that job, I had more time on my hands than I knew what to do with...I would clean house, read my bible, attend a study here and there but rarely did I love on people and sit and listen (like people of old used to do)...anyway, I wasn't in the 5 day a week job but a month when I was driving and crying on my way home. I knew I had made a decision outside of God's will. It was a very necessary season in my life...I realized we are called to be good stewards of our time as well as our money and promised God that I would spend more time with people...I've got a long way to go and I know this part has nothing to do with you, you have always been so giving to others, but I just know now the value of time well spent...thank you for this great blog! So happy you and Natalie got to spend the day together and that Darrell is O.K.