Time has been my focus this year. --Or more specifically, remembering to spend it like money... to invest it and be mindful of managing it better... not wasting it away (or netflixing it away, or busying it away...) but staying present and purposeful in the time allotted to me each day.
If you do this well, then you love all the quotes about how we've all been given the same amount of time... you relish in how it feels to get All The Things done and somehow have time to spare. To spare, ya'll! I have days like that too, but lately- not too many in a row, and I am working on that!
I am in a season now where I have a lot of time on my hands... my nest is empty and my hours are plenty and yet, still, I can find 5pm sneaking up on me too quickly with little to show for my day!
I am reminded of my Summer of Silence (#10) and how God taught me that doing nothing and resting are not the same, and that often, when I am willing to be still, He is at work deep down and while I have nothing on the surface to show productivity, productivity that is eternal is happening nonetheless!
But here is what He is reminding me lately...
While I am bound by time, He is not. He moves inside and outside of time and when we remember this --well, we remember that time can be a gift or a burden, and we get to decide!
As I have been more intentional in spending my time wisely, I have also been more mindful of seeking out Wonder! Counting Gifts and looking for how He is with me through out my every days. I told a friend last week that Wonder shows us that God is active in our lives and I prayed with her that we would be Carriers of His Presence and Distributors of Wonder!
Yes. That. Let's do that!
With less bossy lists, and more wide open spaces on my calendar, I am being drawn to quiet corners and longer times lingering in worship... in conversations with God... in sometimes just sitting with Him with no other motive or need than to just be at peace with the Prince of Peace. For this world is hard and heavy and full of darkness - but He is none of those things, and He is readily available to us... to lift the burdens and carry the yoke... to be Light within us and to shine brightly through us - but we must fill up.
Not in an add-one-more-thing-to-my-list kind of way, but in a do-this-one-first-and-the-rest-will-get-done kind of way... In a bring-Me-with-you-and-let-Me-help-you-throughout-your-day kind of way, and who wouldn't want that?
Time spent with Him is a gift... and we can go about our busy days and full schedules and be spending time with Him all the while, or we can let time feel like it is the boss of us and that we are always short changed of it. We get to decide if we manage time or if time manages us. We get to choose if it is a gift or a burden, and to choose wisely, we choose Him.
I think in our loud, chaotic world - we forget that God is at work, at all times, working things out for our good. I think we forget that He is with us, IN us, ...that He calls us His friend, His beloved, His Bride. We forget that He is intimately aware and in tune with us and when life feels heavy, often our knee-jerk reaction is to just push through... to do it on our own, head down, will strong, determination flaring and all the while, He is right beside us, willing and wanting to help a sister out! I think some of our hardest days break His heart too but not just because ours is breaking, but because He is right there, able to help, and we forget... or worse yet, we believe a lie that He's too busy or won't come through for us. We forget to hope... to dare to believe...
Let Hope arise, ya'll! He is good! He is a good God. He can be trusted!
He moves inside and outside of time... He is looking for true worshipers who will worship in Spirit and in truth... He is longing for time... He is a jealous God and oh so loving and what He wouldn't give for a little reminiscing!
Through prayer, He revealed this and captured my heart and simply took my breath away:
As much as we like to hang out with friends who know who we are and who love us and who have all this history with us --who can pull up a private joke or stories that happened years and years ago and it just strengthens that connection and bond...
Jesus has known us since the beginning of time! Some of His favorite memories of us are ones that we haven't even lived yet!
Like, Whoa!
You Guys... I just can't get over that!
He holds all of time in His hands, and He shuffles through it and pulls out memories of events and conversations, of answered prayers and breakthroughs and He looks on them with such love and adoration and they haven't even happened here on earth yet!
I don't know what that does for you, but for me? That makes me want to be mindful of how I spend my time... I don't want to miss one of His favorite memories of me because I was too busy, or too spent, or too unaware of His Wonder and His Voice calling out to me, "This is the way. Walk in it."
Linking up with these lovely ladies:
The Community over at #SmallWonders (Formerly Unforced Rhythms)...
Holly Barrett for #TestimonyTuesday
Kelly Balarie for #RaRaLinkUp
"...Carriers of His Presence and Distributors of Wonder!" WOW! This is powerful and something I want to do and be! In the world and in His time, we have so much He can do through us. Oh, to be His and not squander a moment of His time that He blesses me with each day.
ReplyDeleteCaring through Christ, ~ linda
Amen and me too, Linda! Thanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteKarrilee, often times you and I are on the same wave. I love what He is showing you and you are sharing with us. Time is a funny thing, isn't it? Years ago He began to show me He wanted a tithe of my day - 24 minutes out of the 24 hours - now considering that isn't very much, how could I possible withhold it? Our Abba is a time traveler (we are Whovian's!!!) - in and out of time, just like you wrote about here. Beautiful post, keep sharing the Spirit-given insights, sister.
ReplyDeleteYes... so thankful for Kindred Hearts and soul sisters... for how He speaks and confirms His word! You are such a blessing to me, my fellow Wonder seeker!
DeleteKarrilee, this is a beautiful post. I love that last quote that favorite memories are ones we haven't lived yet. Blessings sweet friend. Diana
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Diana! That last thought is honestly still blowing my mind! I can't get over it!
DeleteHe is indeed not bound by time and that is a very good thing to remember. Thank you for sharing your heart!
ReplyDeleteIt stirs up so much Hope, right? That He moves in and out and is always at work? Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteWow!! That last paragraph caught me. I don't want to miss those memories/moments for myself either. It's a powerful witness to remember God lives outside of time. Oh so true friend!! I need to wonder more and spend my time more wisely!! Love this!!!
ReplyDeleteAmen, my friend! Amen - and me too! So glad we are on this journey together! Thanks for stopping by, Tara!
DeleteHe moves inside and outside of time. Time with Him is indeed a gift. I've been guilty of wasting my time and forgetting to be present with Him. Thank you for your beautiful words today that draw me in.
ReplyDeleteOh yes... guilty here too, sweet friend! May He draw us both! Love you! xoxo
DeleteI'm an empty nester, too...retired now. Time has a way of just slipping away...especially if I turn on the computer. Thank you for your reminders.
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Oh I feel you, Gail! This computer is a blessing and yet - it can evaporate the hours if we are not mindful of time spent here! Thanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteThis is so good! Thank you for this awesome word. I never really thought of it this way. So much great stuff here.
ReplyDeleteIt just keeps reverberating in me... thanks so much for stopping by friend! (BTW, your books are now Author signed and will be on their way to you, along with the cards and painting, today or tomorrow!) xoxo
DeleteOhhh, Karrilee! Some of His favorite memories of us are ones we haven't lived yet! Beautiful and mind boggling! What a reminder to wait patiently on Him, because He is not bound by time. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteIsn't that just breathtakingly beautiful? I can't get over it... thanks so much for stopping by Ellen!
DeleteYes to all of this friend! I will need to pull out your words come June when I learn my new normal of retirement. Time can certainly be my friend but really is that what I want or do I want to live intentionally for and with God. There is a lot here for me to absorb and reflect on so I will soak in your words and remember that He moves inside and outside of time! Holding tight onto these words and remind me in 6 months when I am whiling away my time of all you said! :) Love you friend and thanks!
ReplyDeleteOh sweet Mary... there will be time and reason for celebrations and the freedom of no plans... of 'wasting' time... and yet, I know you will also be 'spending' it wisely too! Praying for you as you wind down one season and prepare to transition into whatever is next!
Delete"While I am bound by time, He is not." Thank God! There are many days this fact seems to be forgotten. It's all too easy. You are ringing a bell of reminder so "today" will not fall there as well. Thank you, Karrilee. Stopping in for a visit today from #tellHisStory :-)
ReplyDeleteSo true! It's easy to forget... or to see what we think is the 'end' of something but not realize that He is outside of time, still working it out for our good! Thanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteJust this, Karrilee, "While I am bound by time, He is not." As I'm in a season of waiting on several things, this is the BEST reminder I can have. And I'm hearing it over and over this week, through His word and others. His time is perfect and complete. Period. Blessings on these words to all who read and thank you for linking-up again this week. I love having you! xo
ReplyDeleteDoesn't it just bring such relief... such hope... to remember that He is not confined by the things that hold us down or hold us back! Thanks so much, my friend! Always appreciate you and the community that gathers!
DeleteKarrilee, I find it so beautiful and hard and liberating, this idea of rest with 'nothing' to show for it, at least in productivity. It's been something, too, I've been learning (and unlearning this belief hammered into us from all sides, that resting is something to feel embarrassed about, that busyness defines us), these past years, and I find the farther away I come from where I was, the more I can breathe. Thank you for sharing these profound, hopeful words with us.
ReplyDeleteOh Amber,,, me, too! I struggle with the freedom of resting (with nothing to show for it) and yet... when I give in to it, that is the best kind of rest and it's actually the most productive investment of time after all! And have I not yet said out loud that I am so excited to get to meet you inrl at JT! Can. Not. Wait!
Delete"Not in an add-one-more-thing-to-my-list kind of way, but in a do-this-one-first-and-the-rest-will-get-done kind of way... In a bring-Me-with-you-and-let-Me-help-you-throughout-your-day kind of way, and who wouldn't want that?" So loved this, friend! So very true. I'm so glad God has brought me through the days of the first statement and into the blessing of the latter ways of looking at it. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteOh Ginger... Yes and Amen... I am so glad that portion stuck out to you! I have approached inviting Him in to my day in all of these ways and by far, I prefer to have Him with me all the way though! (It's just sometimes I forget that He is there, right?) Thanks so much for stopping by my friend!
DeleteHis vision and his vantage point is so much higher than ours. We are like ants and he is like a giant standing on a mountain. Thank you for putting this into perspective! Cheering you from the #RaRalinkup on Purposeful Faith!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by Kelly!
DeleteI love your blog and definitely the content. You have such a eloquent way of sharing your faith! Thank you for sharing. I am definitely encouraged...God bless
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