Tuesday – February 23

Scripture for the Week:

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones

and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Reflection – Bridget Bilgrei

“Time is my enemy.” My brother-in-law once said this during one of those conversations we’ve all had about having too much to do and too little time in which to do it. It’s a phrase that often pops into my mind when I’m feeling overwhelmed and unproductive. Time keeps passing whether I’m getting things done or not. Now we are being encouraged to think of time as a gift.

Time is a gift for us to receive, but it is also a gift that we should give. It’s what our friends and families want most from us. It is what we tend to regret the most when someone passes away, that we didn’t give them enough of our time. I’m making a conscious effort these days to spend more time with my children. I’m with them all the time when they’re not at school, but we often spend our time doing our own things. But they absolutely love it when we all play board games or do an art project together. Today they were thrilled when both my husband and I played in the snow with them. It was such a simple thing, but it made us all so happy. Time spent with my kids is not just a gift to them, but a gift to me as well. Time is no longer my enemy, it is my gift.

To ponder and pray:

¨ When does it feel like time is your adversary?

¨ When does it feel like time is your friend… or when does time stop for you?