Time Flies

Around this time of the year it is not uncommon to hear someone say something like, “It’s almost Christmas, where has this year gone?” I’ll usually quip back something akin to, “Well, after all, just yesterday it was February 24^th.” The point is, time seems to fly right past many of us doesn’t it?

There is an abundance of theories that discuss the topic. A trip to Google will offer you tons of discussion about why time seems to fly. At my age, I hardly bother being concerned about it any longer. I’m no longer in any kind of hurry to get nowhere fast either.

Here’s what I can factually share, based on my experience, about time flying.  I equate it to my age. I’m in my 7^th decade now.  I’d hope that those younger than I might find a take-away or two from it that would have positive effects on their lives.

·         It’s mind-boggling to discover later in life how much of one’s life has been squandered on things that don’t really matter.

·         It’s an unbelievably rude awakening to realize later in life that you didn’t consistently (if at all) prepare for that time when you can’t be financially productive, simply because you held onto the thought “I can do that later”, especially if you’re paying the consequences now.

·         It’s brutally cruel to think back to good, sound, well-reasoned advice about living that was shared by your parents in their efforts to forewarn you about what lies ahead in life, and know that you ignored it because of your belief that “it won’t happen to me” or “I know”.

·         It’s saddening to think of all of the good, righteous, worthy things you could have accomplished along the way if only you had thought of them or wanted to do them, things you’re doing now which easily could have been done then.

·         The harsh realities of health and emotional issues that you see in yourself at a later age because of your earlier dependency on self is maddening.

·         The angst you feel by knowing that your spiritual journey, the one you didn’t have or was one only of convenience, could/should have been so much better and would have had many positive impacts on your life.

·         It’s disconcerting to finally discover that the end is much closer than the beginning as you finally grasp your passion and purpose for what it really is and to know that your time is limited.

·         And, it’s frustrating to realize that in all that time, time which flew by, you let others down, yourself down, and God down by not being all that you could be during that time.

There are some bright sides to all of this. Flying time doesn’t stop anyone’s ability or desire to change. Lessons learned from flying time provide an excellent backdrop for positive growth that comes from change. And, God is pleased with progress.