Time

What an absolutely crazy time we are living through right now.  6 months ago, we were excited about a new year and a new decade, reminiscing over the last 10 years and looking forward to next.  We were making plans, filling up calendars, setting goals, and vision casting for the future.  We were definitely not planning for a global pandemic, an economic crisis as a result, or the protests and in some cases destruction and looting over racial injustice and inequality.  

The last 3 months have been different and challenging and emotionally exhausting for many.  Over 100,000 people in our country have lost their lives due to COVID 19, millions have lost jobs, businesses have been forced to close, everything has gone virtual, masks have become the newest accessory, social distancing has become the new "norm," and we continue to live in a country where racial injustice and hate still exists.

Never in my life have I gone 3 months without physically going to church.  It's absolutely heartbreaking.  As businesses are being allowed to slowly open again, large churches are still not able to gather like they did before.  It's unclear how our kids will return to school in the Fall.  Most sports and activities are still on hold.  Live events are still being cancelled or changed.  Travel is still being affected.  Our livelihood is being stolen.

While we have lost so much, something that most of us have gained is TIME.  Evenings and weekends that would have normally been filled with activities have been open.  With nowhere to go and nothing to do, we have gained time.  Time is a luxury to a lot of us with normally very busy lives.  Time is usually scarce.  It's precious.  It's wanted.  And lately, we have had more time than we know what to do with.

How are you using your extra time?  Are you using this time to rest or hustle?  Are you using it or wasting it?  Enjoying it or hating it?  Making the most of it or squandering it?

Time is something we often wish for more of, and right now a lot of us have more time, but are we looking at it as a golden opportunity or are we too focused on what we have lost to realize what we have gained?

My family has used this time to both rest AND hustle.  We have definitely been using and making the most of our extra time, focusing on enjoying it while still acknowledging the loss and pain around us.  We've taken one day at a time, and 82 days later, we are still living one day at a time, while also planning for the future.

I'm not one to sit still, so I've cleaned, organized, decluttered, painted, redecorated, and rearranged our entire house.  I've tackled project after project that I never seemed to have time for.  I've caught up on photo albums, written over 20,000 words on my next book, and focused on new goals.  We've gotten our yard looking great, taken more family walks, gone fishing at night, watched more movies together, and ate more meals around the table with one another.  This time has been a gift.

This may not be the time we planned for, but it's time we'll never get back.  It's time to read and reflect, learn and grow, pivot and change, rest and renew, hustle and be productive, and just be together.

Don't fail to see the opportunity we've been given.  Use this time for whatever you need, whether it's rest or hustle, just don't waste it.  Don't take it for granted.

Be a kind human.  Love God and love others.  Don't see color or difference, but see God's people.  See the gift that each person is to our society, and try to make this world a better place.

~ Allison