Jesusluvsall's Blog

Time change weekend here in the U.S. as in the good time change that gives us an extra hour of sleep. It meant figuring out the new time for my video chat English lessons with a student in China. It also meant figuring out a different time to chat with a friend in Brazil who will come here in December. Brazil had its spring time change this weekend moving ahead one hour, so now we have a four hour time difference instead of two.

I am a Tolkien fan. I have read Lord of the Rings several times. I watched the movies several times. In Lord of the Rings, Gandalf told his hobbit friends, “ All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” I love this quote because it expresses a profound truth. Our lives are short here in this life. The question is not how much time we have in this life as in how long we will live. If we compare 75 years to eternity, we realize this life is so short. The question is what we do with the time we are given in this life.

Jesus’s followers asked him after his resurrection if he was going to set up his kingdom on earth at that time. In Acts 1 Jesus’s answer was:

 “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

In other words, Jesus told them it isn’t for them to know the time, but to get busy going out to share him with the world.

What will we do with this day we are given today? Will we show the love of Jesus with those we encounter today? Will we share his message? Will we live for him today?

What will we do with the time we are given?

Each day we are given opportunities. Yesterday instead of watching my college football team play in an exciting game, I spent time with a family from Iran that is grieving the loss of a relative who died of old age in Iran. I sat with them, drank tea with them, ate a fish lunch with them, and talked with them. It was well worth my time to be there for my friends.

But then last night as I did laundry, I got lazy and didn’t do much. After a busy week, I needed some down time to relax.  I felt it was okay. I spent my morning teaching English at my church and my afternoon with my friends. However, as I think back on yesterday, I realize I could have made better use of my evening yesterday.

Giving our time to someone can be a precious gift to them. Visiting grieving friends, visiting someone who is sick, having a cup of coffee with a friend, taking time to read with a child, stopping to talk with a neighbor, there are so many ways to share God’s love with people.

Any time that we give to others to share the love of Jesus will be blessed when we run out of time here on earth and enter our eternal home in heaven.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.