Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. [Psalm 90:12 (NIV)]
Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin. [Mother Teresa]
When my mother-in-law sold her Florida condo, my husband and I spent two weeks cleaning, sorting, packing, shipping, donating, and tossing the possessions that remained after she returned north. We both had surgeries scheduled later that month so we worked hard and fast to get everything done while we were still able to lift and tote. Once done, we congratulated ourselves that twelve boxes had been shipped north and everything cleaned, disposed of, or donated in record time. Then, we got a call from my mother-in-law! In spite of already having several sets of dominoes in Illinois, she wanted a wooden set she’d left in Florida. Made by a friend, they had numbers instead of dots. Unaware of their sentimental value to her, they were in one of the first boxes donated to a charity for resale at their thrift stores. Although we checked at all four of the charity’s shops, the dominos were gone for good; there was no getting them back!
The dominoes we couldn’t get back reminded me of something else we can’t reclaim: time. We don’t want to thoughtlessly dispose of any of our precious days the way my husband and I did that bag of dominoes. Rich and poor alike, we all have a certain amount of time allotted to us and, like that hand-made set of dominoes, it is irreplaceable. Once spent, time is gone and gone for good; no amount of money can create or buy more of it. We’re all born with an expiration date, but we don’t know what it is. Nevertheless, as we age, we know that date is growing close.
It’s been said that life is like a roll of toilet paper—the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes! Indeed, at my age, time seems to pass at warp speed. Just as my husband and I wanted to get my mother-in-law’s house cleaned out before our surgeries, I have several half-finished projects that, God willing, I’d like to complete before I’m called home. Wanting to make the best use of the time remaining, I am going into semi-retirement. For the time being, I will continue hosting my web site and sending out devotions twice a week. While some new ones will appear, many of those devotions will have been previously published. (I have over 2,400 from which to choose.)
Thank you, dear reader, for allowing me into your life while joining me in my faith journey. My prayer is that you continue to grow in your faith. God’s peace and joy to you, jsjdevotions
Always remember your end and do not forget that lost time never returns. [Thomas à Kempis]
Devotions of the Heart 