When Mike told me that he loved me and wanted to marry me (he didn't want to say, "I love you," unless he intended to marry me :) ) I couldn't wait to get engaged, get married, and start our married lives together. We looked at the wedding countdown religiously and were always ready to answer the question, "How much longer before the wedding?" It felt like forever as triple digits became double digits and slowly slipped into single digits.
Mike and I said, "I do," 466 days ago already.
It feels like yesterday I was studying away, nervous to take the GMAT which was getting closer. And then I was anxiously awaiting my interviews with Booth and Kellogg. It felt like each hour was a year as I waited for admissions decisions.
It is now almost three months to the day since we found out I was accepted at Booth.
Mike and I went over Valentine's Day weekend to find our home in a big, new city. We have anxiously awaited the time when we will walk in the door to Hubbard Place and officially call it home - no longer relying on the photos and videos we have stored on our iPhones to remember our space.
In less than one week we will be on the road driving to our new home in Chicago.
One thing I know for certain is that time doesn't stop for anyone. As certainly as the world turns, time passes on. I was reading Ephesians this morning and this verse really stood out to me,
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16
The words were just the warning that I needed to hear this morning. Time will march on, no matter how slow (or fast) it seems to move I can assure you that time will move forward and we will be along for the ride.
How will I spend my time? Will I walk as the wise, being intentional with my time, knowing what a precious gift each moment is to me? Or, will I sit idly and waste my time away? The days are evil - heed the warning! If you sit idly you will almost certainly slip into the evil of the day, in one form or another. Instead, walk as the wise.
How do the wise walk through each day? The wise are aware of the tender nature of time and they respect time, both theirs and others. The wise work diligently and love deeply, they don't procrastinate for they know that time is always of the essence. The wise seek after God, discern their mission, and work urgently towards the mission God has set before them.
I must admit that I can't say I've been walking as the wise each day. Lately, I am scattered and am juggling a lot of different thoughts in my mind - the move and associated logistics (especially the re-furnishing of our home) have taken up a massive amount of mental real estate. Even when I am at work I struggle to follow the best practices that I have followed so diligently for so many years. Typically, I walk into the office and review my running to-do list and prioritize which tasks I want/need to accomplish for the day. I then review my calendar and figure out what meetings I need to prepare for and what else lays before me. I make a plan and schedule for how to attack my day then I go through my emails, responding and following up then filing things away into my archives. I always end my day by reviewing and refreshing my to-do list and reviewing my calendar for the next day so that I am in the office on time and ready for the next day. Lately, I write my to-do lists in multiple places, lose focus quickly, and don't always prep for meetings until the 15 minute reminder pops up. At some point I look down and realize that it is time to go, shut down my computer and leave. No re-visiting my to-do list. No real preparations for the next day. This is not walking as the wise, this is walking as the unwise.
Plan your day according to the wise. Are you a stay-at-home mom? Great! Know that each moment that seems to drag by is actually a precious moment to shape and mold the young, beautiful souls that have been entrusted to you. Plan your day accordingly! Are you a working mom? Great! Your moments at work should be spent at work and your moments at home should be spent at home. Plan your day according the the wise! Are you a single man or woman working in the corporate world? Great! Don't devote all of your time to work but plan your day according to the wise - finding a balance between your time spent with God, your time at work, and your time serving others.
Don't wish your time away. Don't sit and wait for something to happen to you. Discern God's will, determine the mission set forth for you, and seize the day - each moment is a gift from God and is meant to be lived intentionally.
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