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| photo credit obpia30 on pixabay |
In my house the FAQ is Do you want to build a train track? I am not a huge fan of playing with trains, but I am a huge fan of my boys, so most of the time my answer is, sigh... Sure! The other day I committed to creating what was sure to be a monumental track, but first I needed to wash some dishes that were piling up in the sink. As I did, my four-year-old came up behind me urgently and asked Momma! Why are you wasting time! The clock was ticking and this track wasn't going to build itself. The dishes could wait!
Being a boring old adult I thought, washing dishes isn't fun, but I wouldn't describe it as a waste of time. It's something that needs to be done to keep the kitchen clean and to give us something to eat off of at our next meal. But I knew at this moment, they could wait.
As we built our train, I thought about those words and how I'm spending my time. Are the majority of the hours in my day doing anything to honor or recognize God or are they being wasted?
Later in the evening we were watching the Inspector Gadget reboot on Netflix and Dr. Claw said, in his menacing voice, I'll get you Gadget! If it's the last thing I do! I couldn't help but draw a line connecting the question, Why are you wasting time? with that evil threat from Dr. Claw. He was ok with his last action before he goes to the cartoon afterlife being one of violence. Ah, the life of the villian.
I thought to myself - Dr Claw is not setting himself up for heaven! Yeah, weird. I know. And then I asked myself, Am I? Am I committing myself to making sure the last thing I do is something glorifying God? Sure, life gets in the way. Dishes have to get done, but if you look at my calendar, could you tell that Jesus is who I belong to? Or do I belong to my job? My phone? My friends? My kids? My sin?
Last week there was that tragic story of the three girls who drown when a car they stole went into the water. I couldn't help but think of how awful it would be to die while commiting a crime. I am not judging where they will spend eternal life. That's between them and Jesus, but I do know that it would be awfully nice to be commiting an act of love in some form or fashion when I go.
Dr. Claw's other famous line is I'll get you next time, Gadget! NEXT TIME! Sometimes there's a next time. Sometimes there isn't. So it's time to get real with yourself. Are you wasting time? Can something wait so you can put Jesus on your calendar?
This is brilliant! I only wish I had read it when my children were still children. (Yes, I do get that the post isn't about spending less time doing dishes and more time playing with your kids but that's the message that hit me between the eyes.)
ReplyDeleteI really struggle w putting "life" down and sitting with my kids. No joke- last night Graham wanted to tell me a story while he sat on the potty. I had to pack for my trip so I grabbed my toiletries and planned to sort and pack while he talked. Thank God for the slap that said- just listen and give him your undivided attention. It was his version of Jack & the Beanstalk and it was awesome!
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