Reflection: Time, Our Most Valuable Resource
Over the last couple of years, I’ve witnessed the untimely death of long-time friends as well as major health crises that could have resulted in the loss of others. It’s had me considering more and more the value of time, and the importance of cherishing our days. An ancient songwriter wrote a prayer that we would learn to number our days and in doing so acquire a heart of wisdom. For Judeo-Christian cultures it is intriguing the importance that is placed on articles like the ten commandments, and yet we often neglect the practice of Sabbath and rest—which is a way of honoring the time given to each of us and creating space for a reminder that our identity is not in what we do, but who we are.
Our life is truly a vapor. During the summer of 2016, two of my life-long friends had heart attacks. One of them died, and the other survived because he was in close proximity to a hospital. One was 55 and the other was 42. It is sobering to visit a casket or a hospital and look at a peer, and think, “That could very easily have been me.”
I realize this post could seem a bit morbid, but I don’t mean it to be. Rather, I am writing just thinking about how we are often very mindful of how we steward our money or other resources that are limited, but we do not give the same consideration of time. We think we have an endless supply, but it is truly a limited resource. Just a few weeks ago, I was talking over dinner, with a good friend who is also a software developer, and Nuru supporter. He was talking about this very concept—how time is our most precious resource and how none of us know how much we have—and so we need to be mindful of how we spend each day.
As we continued talking, I asked my friend more about his daily and weekly rhythms. I consider him one of the wisest people I know, and he walked through the intentionality of each of his days and weeks. He has committed much of his time to teaching and educating others, but he also has built into his rhythm a space for writing, for reflection, and for prayer and quality time with his family. He and his wife go for daily walks together as the evening arrives as both a time of connection and a time of being physically active. As we talked, I was deeply encouraged that Jamie and I have developed very similar rhythms. (Although, we haven’t developed a time of family prayer formally yet).
Today, may we all more deeply savor, enjoy, and steward the precious gift of time we have been given. Every moment is precious and unique. Today is a gift—let’s never squander the opportunity we have been given to bring our all into each moment, and, as we are able, may we each work toward ensuring that the quality of our days all it can be through making wise choices with them. We are not in control of the quantity. As the author Annie Dillard once said, “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives,” so let each one of us spend wisely. What how will you treasure, cherish, and spend your time?