Taking Time

Taking Time--

HURRY, HURRY, HURRY.

We all seem to be in constant motion.  So many places we have to be and so little time to get there.  Run the children to practices, attend meetings, keep the house in order, pay bills, answer email/texts.  These and other activities fill every waking minute of our lives.  You will notice I left out homework and other daily activities.  There are simply too many to make a full list.

It is good to be busy with positive endeavors.  It is good to help children grow to their absolute most.  It is good to attend meetings especially when the boss is present.  It is good to answer emails/texts.  Keeping in contact with others is a way to maintain relationships.

Recently I was in a business and had the opportunity to engage in conversation with a woman older than I am.  She made the first overture toward connecting.  What she needed to share with another human was that she was lonely.  She said she goes to businesses just for the noise.  She feels more alive.  She is a widow.  In only a few minutes we shared how life can change in an instant and how that leaves us to reorder our lives.  She shared that in the evening she is lonely and needs to be around activity.  We laughed and visited.  It was a wonderful exchange between two strangers who took the time to slow down and visit.

A little later on that same evening I saw a woman trying to move her wheelchair but there were obstacles in the way.  Walking over to her, I asked how I might help.  She told me what she needed.  It was so simple.  In a moment she had what she needed, and I was on my way.  That encounter made me wonder how often I have walked by people who have needs yet never saw.

I have been praying this year that my life will be used for the good of others.  That I will be more than I have been in the past.  When I say this, I am not meaning in large ways.  Often the most needs are met in simple things.   Praying this means that I must be ever watchful for ways I can be of service.  Sometimes I forget.  But on those times when I remember my prayer, the blessings are almost overwhelming.  You see, I know that moment shared with the widow was a good thing for her--and for me.  I also know that helping the woman in the wheelchair gave her what she needed.

I am more aware than ever that my time on earth is limited.  I suppose that comes with age.  It is a very good thing to be aware of the simple needs of others and offer a little time to help.

Taking time--What does that mean to you?