The Treasure of Time

Time is valuable and we never get it back. 

At the end of each holiday, when saying good by to go home, my grandmother said, "Another_____ has passed." I never quite understood her words, which I have come to realize were almost a ritual, but I do now. Time passes. She observed it, knew it, and embraced the reality.

Another Thanksgiving has passed.

Perhaps you said goodby to long distance family, met or missed an on-line shopping deadline with "just hours left", and gained a pound or two.  Another Thanksgiving has passed.

We're now into To Do lists and meeting expectations for gift lists and get-togethers. We're into stress and fatigue. We are into hours of busyness.

So teach us to number our days and apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12 NIV

How do we thoughtfully measure our days? We  record commitments and appointments on our December calendar. We count items on our To Do lists.

Can we do what counts? 

On December 26, you might sigh and hear yourself say, "Another Christmas has passed." I'll say it. I do every year. I hope I've done what counted.

The Treasures of Thanksgiving

It's been a holiday since 1863 when President Lincoln declared a thanksgiving day on the last Thursday of November. We mark it by gathering with family and friends and enjoying lots of good food.

Thanksgiving.

Somewhere between scanning the store ads for "must haves" and enjoying pumpkin pie, we remember to give thanks. Or, perhaps in our hurry, we dig into our holiday banquet and we forget. Or, life is hard, and in our preoccupation with difficulties and even tears, we find gratitude is elusive.

A few years ago, I began to keep a gratitude jar. I regularly write something I am thankful for on a slip of paper and place it in my jar. At the end of the year, I dump the papers out, and read about the gratitude moments.

I’ve included notes about blooming azaleas, the beauty of a blanket of snow, a phone call from a friend, an incredible Bible study I’m part of, Face Time with grandchildren…  moments of gratitude found in the surprises and simplicity of my day.

The last Thanksgiving we celebrated before my husband went to heaven, was at my daughter Susan’s house. As we went around the table, each of us gave thanks for something special to us. My husband’s words still echo.

“I’m thankful that all my grandchildren know Jesus.”

None of us mentioned material things, but all were gifts, recognizing treasures of life. I hadn’t started my jar then, but if I had, his statement would have been written on paper and placed in it. 

Life can be enjoyable, healthy, but not always easy. It can be uncomfortable, or marked by stressful situations or illness. But God is faithful and loves us in all seasons and places.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! 

His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 107:1 NLT

  I see it in strength to enjoy a three-mile walk, the laughter of my grandchildren, and the phone call from a friend. My jar gives me perspective, because in a year, it’s easy to forget the simple moments--those that evoke gratitude.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns ... chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.   Melody Beattie

Living in gratitude: not just on the fourth Thursday of November.

In Convenience or Inconvenience?

One of the marks of today’s society is convenience. Just this morning I popped a container into my one-cup coffee maker and within a minute, I held a cup of hot fresh coffee.

The Treasures of Hard Work

My three-year-old grandson understood “Trick or Treat” this year. After a drive to visit grandparents, his Mom and Dad walked him around his cul-de-sac and he rang neighbors’ doorbells for his treats. After a few houses, his Mom told him he could go to two more.

“No,” he answered to her surprise. “I’ll just do one. This is hard work.”

I suppose his little three-year-old legs got tired.

Adults get tired too.

My friend April White and I finished a manuscript and proposal a few months ago. We encouraged each other and shared the hard work. She called it grunt work. (http://redchairmoments.com/celebrate-grunt-work) Reading the words from our hearts and minds put to print, gave a sense of accomplishment.

Moving into house or apartment is hard work. Once boxes are unpacked and contents arranged, we see a house take on our personality and it feels like home.

Getting along with difficult people is hard work. Showing kindness and offering a gentle response to a harsh word, gives us peace even if the recipient doesn’t respond the same way.

Looking for employment is hard work. Job interviews give us practice and we learn perseverance. We learn the art of interview and more about ourselves each time.

Grieving is hard work. Moving through sorrow and tears stretches us, but healing comes with each wave of grief as we know God's comfort.

Waiting is hard work. As we wait, we often discover the process is often more valuable than the outcome.

Yes, it’s all hard work.

My Dad’s sage advice to our family was, “Do the hard work and do it with excellence. You’ll have a reward for it—even if others do not recognize it, you will have personal satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.” One of his letters to me in college reminded of that when I was discouraged.

My sweet grandson had a pumpkin full of candy as a reward for his “hard work”.  Sometimes, our sweetness comes from encouraging friends and perseverance.

And, for me, the sweet treasured words from my Dad still resonate. Years later, I realize he paraphrased Proverbs 13:19a (ESV): The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.

How do you view hard work? What’s been your reward for hard work?