Rhonda Reese Purtee

Boy, thats a tricky one isn’t it? When you’re in a car with three kids in the middle of summer, and a broken AC, an hour is about 10 minutes shy of eternity. But sit on the beach, looking out over the Gulf of Mexico on an 80° day with a gentle breeze ruffling your hair, and your toes curling into the warm sand, knowing you’re flying back into a winter snowstorm the next morning – 5 hours goes past in what seems like the blink of an eye. We give credit or blame a lot on time. “Time heals all wounds.” “Only time will tell.” “Time is on my side.” But time doesn’t do anything, time just is. We do something with our time. The saying that takes the cake when it comes to misunderstanding time, is one that we’ve probably all said this week as we contemplate the coming new year and consider what changes we need to make; “I’m going to make more time for _______________.” The reality is, no mater how long we live none of us will ever make a single second of time. Time can be neither made, nor saved, only spent.

Regardless of race, creed, religion, gender, socio-economic level, time works exactly the same for each of us. Time is the great equalizer. My day today had the same 24 hours in it that yours did, no more, no less. Time is a resource given to us brand new every single day. None of us can ever replace a single minute. When I spend money, I make more to replace it, but time; time isn’t like that, once it is spent it can never be replaced.  

This photo is of a clock my parents purchased when I was young. Its chimes have marked the hours of my life throughout my growing up years. Every half-hour, a single chime, and every hour the number of chimes equalling the hour. Ticking off the minutes of each day, each one spent, never to be seen again.  

So how am I spending my time? Would I have joined an unscheduled trip into town to visit a baby with the shepherds, or would I have been too busy? Does a months long road trip for the singular purpose of worship, like the wise men made, sound slightly ridiculous? I mean, I’ve got “real life” that I’m living over here. 

What does it mean to do what scripture instructs and “redeem the time?” Surely, when viewed through the lens of the Nativity story we can see that it must mean more than the endless busyness that our culture fosters and promotes. Are the things I’m spending my resource of time doing bringing the Kingdom of God into my home, my family, my friendships, my workplace, my neighborhood and my community?