By Request - Losing My Marbles

 Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.

Psalm 39:4 NLT

It is my opinion that of all the resources we squander, time is the one that most affects us and those around us. We tend to think we are invincible - that time and life go on and on. We think we have plenty of time to do what we want to do or to accomplish what we want to accomplish. Plenty of time to catch up later - tell that one we love them or send a note to encourage this one or call so-and-so... and somehow, time gets away from us and we don't.

There's an internet story that goes around about a man who recognized the value of time by filling a jar with an exact number of marbles - one for every Saturday of his projected life. Fifty-two weeks in a year, so 52 marbles for every year. And every Saturday, he would take one of the marbles out of the jar and put it in the used jar and reflect on how that time was used. Ten years ago, the expected average life span of men was 74.1, and for women - 79.8. Rounding that would be 3,848 marbles for men and 4,160 marbles for women. According to this, I've used over two-thirds of my marbles. I now have less than one-third left...

If we spend our lives in trivial pursuit, then all we have to offer is trivial. I'm not talking about not taking time to relax or play with friends, I'm talking about making trivial a lifestyle. If I spend all my time after work in a-muse-ment (amuse is defined as non-thinking), then what do I have to offer my family? My friends? What do I have to offer that woman whose life is overwhelming? That man who is desperate in his life? That child who needs my time?

 If I spend all my time after work in a-muse-ment = non-thinking, then I'm losing my marbles.

Prayer:

Father,
         Forgive me for squandering that which You've given me - be it time or the Grace bought by Your Son's sacrifice on the Cross for my sin. Continue to shed Your light on those areas in my life that must change. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen