Saturday, May 21, 2005
Time
School is out--an event which I believe teachers anticipate even more than students. But for some reason, this year I have a slight sense of anxiety along with my eagerness in regards to summer. For some reason, I feel a bit overwhelmed by the awesome responsibility of managing my time wisely this summer.
I am so used to my time being dictated by circumstances. During the school year, every spare moment is consumed by grading, planning, and preparing for my classes. When I lived in Alaska, my summers were structured by summer camps with my students and precious moments with friends and family back home. Last summer was an endless calendar of appointments and showers in preparation for the wedding. This summer I'm moving, which is a daunting task; however, I still feel that I suddenly have hours of free time that I simply have not had in a long time...
Why does this bother me? Perhaps it is because I turn 29 this year. I have heard it said that 29 is harder than 30. I think that is because 29 is an ending and 30 is a beginning. I am becoming more aware of the reality that we are only given a brief hour on this stage to make an impact on our audience--what is my impact? If I believe that our purpose as humans is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, am I doing that with the choices and actions in my life?
I just don't want to waste a single moment of this precious life that God has given me. I hear the whispers of Mr. Keating in Dead Poet’s Society: "Carpe Diem--Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." And I hear Thoreau’s observations of men allowing their lives to be “frittered away by detail.”
How can I best use these precious hours that God has given me this summer?
School is out--an event which I believe teachers anticipate even more than students. But for some reason, this year I have a slight sense of anxiety along with my eagerness in regards to summer. For some reason, I feel a bit overwhelmed by the awesome responsibility of managing my time wisely this summer.
I am so used to my time being dictated by circumstances. During the school year, every spare moment is consumed by grading, planning, and preparing for my classes. When I lived in Alaska, my summers were structured by summer camps with my students and precious moments with friends and family back home. Last summer was an endless calendar of appointments and showers in preparation for the wedding. This summer I'm moving, which is a daunting task; however, I still feel that I suddenly have hours of free time that I simply have not had in a long time...
Why does this bother me? Perhaps it is because I turn 29 this year. I have heard it said that 29 is harder than 30. I think that is because 29 is an ending and 30 is a beginning. I am becoming more aware of the reality that we are only given a brief hour on this stage to make an impact on our audience--what is my impact? If I believe that our purpose as humans is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, am I doing that with the choices and actions in my life?
I just don't want to waste a single moment of this precious life that God has given me. I hear the whispers of Mr. Keating in Dead Poet’s Society: "Carpe Diem--Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." And I hear Thoreau’s observations of men allowing their lives to be “frittered away by detail.”
How can I best use these precious hours that God has given me this summer?
