Doren was a real piece of work. At least according to Cheryl. But now it was over. They had been engaged for eight years. (Yes...you understood every word of that last sentence correctly. Hmmmmmm.)Anyway, they had been engaged for eight years, and he finally, unceremoniously dumped her. She was not happy. She kept the ring. It was actually quite a rock. The closest look I got at it was kind of a blur as it flew past my head and hit the wall behind me in the church office. With tears and sounds that resembled a Jurassic Park soundtrack, she threw the ring at me and uttered words about Doren that are not fit for print. I don't think she intended to clunk me in the head with the ring, but she was really mad at him. Of course, he was back at his trailer sleeping the whole thing off.
"How did I ever get into a relationship with such a jerk," she cried. "I can’t believe it! I have wasted so much time! My biological clock is ticking you know. It used to sound like a Timex, but now it’s like Big Ben!"
Nice. Every now and then ministry just delivers a classic line, and that one is in my fave five. Timex vs. Big Ben. And the older I get, the more I feel Cheryl’s pain. What about you?
I don’t mean her specific relationship problems...I mean the feeling that time is flying by, that life is somehow getting away, that I want to make the most of my life but I feel like somehow my opportunities are slipping through my fingers like the sands through the hourglass.
Part of Cheryl’s problem was that she felt so foolish. She had invested so much into that relationship, and each decision seemed to be the right one along the way. That is until it ended the way it did. Then, with all eight years in view, the whole thing seemed like such a waste. Can you relate with her at all? Do you ever find yourself thinking about work/career and wondering if it has all been worth it? What about education, hobbies, interests, relationships, or anything else in which you have made a significant investment of your influence, finances, time or service?
How do we go about "making the most of our time" as we are encouraged by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:15-17?
- We must all accept that sometimes we make poor decisions that at the time looked good or right.
- There are times when we are making good and right decisions, but we will have to be patient to see the harvest that only the Lord can bring about in his perfect timing.
- We need to seek wise counsel from others concerning whether or not we need to make a change in how we are investing our influence, finances, time, and service. One thing is for sure: it would be even worse to get out of a poor investment by impulsively making a worse one!
- We must invest daily time and focused energy indulging in the Word of God. We must move beyond treating it like fast food and savor it like a choice buffet of the highest order. As we fill our lives with the word of God, our investments will demonstrate our abundance of His wisdom.
Only one life, will soon be past.
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
