What will you do with your time? by Kela Price
I had the opportunity to visit my mother’s side of the family in Mississippi last week, and the experience confirmed what I had recently learned. It is sooo important to get our priorities right, embrace our passions, and live and love like it’s our last day before that day comes.
Incidentally, I was in Mississippi for my grandmother’s funeral. Although it was bitter sweet, I really try to see the positive in what could seemingly be a negative situation. My grandmother was 96 years old and lived a very full life. She maintained nearly perfect health until her very late eighties. She enjoyed working in her garden, rocking in her rocking chair and being around family. As a matter of fact, everyone that I know in Mississippi (uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends) lead a relatively low stress life. They aren’t consumed with climbing the corporate ladder, driving the fanciest car and living in the house on the hill. It’s not that they are under achievers they just don’t let those things dominate their entire lives. Simply put, their lives are seemingly more balanced than mine and most of the people that I know.
At any rate, the pastor’s sermon was centered around one question – what will you do with your time? Meaning, what will you do with the time you have left before God calls you home? The entire premise of the sermon was about getting your life in order. Are you spiritually grounded? Are you taking care of your health? Is your life well-balanced, spiritually, emotionally, and financially?
For a second time it made me do a complete assessment of my own life. Do I have my priorities in order? Does making partner at a marketing firm take precedence over making dinner for my family? Am I consumed with obtaining material things or am I appreciative of the things that God has already blessed me with? Am I focused on giving or receiving? About a year ago, I must admit that I would not have been proud of my answers to those questions. But, I had a life changing experience that forced me to seriously think about my answer to the question – what will you do with your time??
I became quite ill a little over a year ago. I passed out several times in an hour, lost a bunch of weight and even lost my memory for several weeks. The doctors could not figure out what was wrong, and I remained sick for at least a year. All of a sudden my career didn’t matter, houses or cars didn’t matter, people that I fought with over nothing didn’t matter, and my son’s unclean room didn’t even matter. All that mattered was my health, my relationship with God, spending as much time with family as I could, and righting old wrongs. I wanted to begin to live a more balanced life. I wanted to become a better person. Additionally, I wanted to begin to live with no regret. I wanted to do the things that I’ve always wanted to do, but put them off due to bad timing.
More than a year later, I am almost fully recovered, but I have not lost sight of the lesson that I learned while ill. That experience, for me, was life changing and my life has gone through a total transformation as a result. I will NEVER lead my life in the same manner that I did before. I am completely devoted to living an empowered, well balanced life, embracing my passions and encouraging others to do the same.
What about you? What will you do with your time?
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