If I Only Had Time by ACHUCKAllen
It’s the cry of every person attempting to change the world, in their own way. Ask most anybody how they are doing and you’ll hear some variation of, “man I’m busy!” My calendar is booked with appointments, weddings, speaking engagements, church work, counseling appointments, and dozens of other assignments or roles. We are a busy society that has forgotten how to apply any margin in our lives.
I grew up in a home that valued hard work, for which I am so grateful. I also grew up in a home where we never, ever vacationed or actually took a day. Dad took one day off every year – Christmas Day. Dad died at 75, having completed another long day of work. He was a great Dad in so many ways. I learned so much from him, and I learned a few things NOT TO DO as well.
The not to do list included:
Don’t die having missed the joy of being a grandparent. I am dangerously close to being my dad in this area. It deserves immediate attention. I would hate to die in about eighteen years from now and my grandkids know little or nothing about me.
Don’t live your life as everybody else wants you to live! Live your life! Chase your dream! Be the captain of your ship and point it in the direction that the Divine has personally charted for you! The whole world has a plan for your life, but their plan is rarely your plan. Don’t become something less than you are designed to be!
Don’t settle for a paycheck! Go ahead and chase after your “white hot why!” That is to say, chase after the thing that gets you up in the morning and fuels your passions. Don’t look back and talk about what you might have done, or what you thought about doing someday – DO IT! Start small, dream big and keep plowing!
Don’t run so hard that you have nothing left for the people that matter most in your life! I’ve spent most of my life chasing, charging, pushing and leaving nothing left for the things that matter most to me. I don’t consider the cost that is applied to those I love as a result of my never-ending chase for another accomplishment. I can reign down misery on Jenny, the girls, the grandkids, and friendships all in the name of getting one more thing done. That my friend is what most scientists would refer to as stupid!
You and I have the same seconds, minutes, and hours each day that the world’s greatest leaders have had. Abraham Lincoln, Billy Graham, Corrie Ten Boom, Neil Armstrong, Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandella all had the same amount of time that we do. They just energized and activated the gifts and passions within them.
I often use time as an excuse to not accomplish all that I want to or could do. But that’s a pretty lazy view of life. If time is a treasure, I better start digging around and get something done – that makes a difference on this planet. Maybe you share my desire to leave an indelible mark on this universe like I do. If so, let’s get busy and stow away the excuse of “I wish there were time.”
–AChuck
