Time

Maria's View-

So as many of you know by now, my biggest struggle is time.  Time to get things done, time to spend with everyone in my family equally, time to read bed time stories, time to clean the house, time to organize, to fix my hair, time to rest, you get the idea... So I sat down at my computer today, convicted, because yeah, time to read the bible is lumped into that list as well.  <sigh>  I did a search for 'scripture on time management'.  I got several good verses but the very last scripture that was on that list was this, and it spoke to me...  Galatians 4:3-5- "In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons."  There's that A word again.  Adoption.  

I had a friend over today and she babysat for me so that I could go to a cheerleading meeting for my Big G.  A TOTAL waste of TIME!  The meeting was off to a very late start because the head guy wasn't even there yet.  Then every bit of information that was given could have easily been typed up into a 1 page email.  Why am I complaining?  I had an opportunity to actually sit down and rest.  I was given time to just relax, but yet I complained and couldn't get out of there fast enough.

I looked at my friend as I was sitting around my table with all 3 of my children, along with her child, whom I love as if he were my own, and said jokingly, "it seems that all I do is sit around this table and feed my kids!" Literally, it seems that I am constantly feeding them because it's important to get those snacks in for Griffin's sake.   They all pleasantly chowed down on their favorite meal of chicken and applesauce.  I was spending time with all of my children in that moment equally, which is something that I complain that I never get to do.  Isn't that what I want?  Yep!

Time to get things done?  Well, I have time to get a lot of things done during nap times... but I usually let that time pass me by.  My problem, my fault.

Time to fix my hair?  Well, I would rather sleep.  LOL.  And by the way, I have an appt on Aug. 14 to do something about that!  Yeah!  Which shall also be my time to rest.

I'm given a lot of time.  God has given me plenty of opportunities to get things done, I just refuse to see it as it is because it's not necessarily in ways that I want my time to be spent. 

Do you remember when I locked Little G into the van in the parking lot on base a few days ago?   I didn't really go into it very much because I was just so disappointed in myself.  I will tell you why.  I had been at the bank and the subject of adoption came up.  She had asked me about my adoption because of our old adoption account that she noticed.  She asked me how it went and what it involved.  We had a nice little conversation and I had the great opportunity to give our testimony of how God had changed my husband's heart toward special needs adoption...and that God is very capable of changing her husband's heart as well... I walked away and felt the need to go back and give her a prayer card of our adoption that included our blog.  I thought to myself that it would be a good resource for her and she could look at our blog if she felt led to.  However, I told myself that I didn't have time to walk all the way back inside because I needed to get Big G from VBS and had one more errand to run.  Well, I truly believe in that moment that God was speaking to me, to turn around and give her the card.  I didn't.  I marched right out to my van and locked Little G inside for about 20-25 minutes.  If I had only been obedient, I'm sure that I would have never locked her in the van.  The extra 5 minutes that it would have taken to walk the card back in, had turned into almost 30 minutes of wasted time, panic, and embarrassment.  Lesson learned, God!  I hear You loud and clear!  Time...if it's not spent glorifying God and working it for His Kingdom, what good is it?  The next time I go to the bank, she will be getting one of my cards!  <smile> 

So this coming week, I will be reflecting on my time and how I spend it.  I will also be reflecting on this verse above for everything that it means.  This will be my memory verse this week.  Care to join me? 

Time to feed the kids a snack!

Love and Hugs!