chapter 4: a sanctuary of time

" All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

J.R.R. Tolkien

With this being my 100th blog post I'm going to simply share my thoughts, there has been much thinking about this chapter specifically and the affects that it has had on me.

When I first read this chapter, I posted a quick clip of what I had been thinking about. I felt convicted by this chapter as a lot of what I'd been struggling with was how my time was being spent and the time spent with God. In the last week or so it's been a struggle and this hit me like a freight train, immediately I had realized what I had been doing.

In the months previous to this semester it was very easy for me to get away and spend time with God, to quiet myself and listen or meditate if that's how I felt lead. This was very hard for me to hear this as the book played out, but it was timely. It's help me understand how grateful for the good times and the hard times when I'm not very thankful.

Then this piece grabbed after finishing the book and it turned into a post on facebook. I had been rushing everywhere I would need to go, not slowing down and taking the time to savor the moments where God would touch me in a way that was new and powerful.

"In our rushing, bulls in china shops, we break our own lives. 
Haste makes waste." One Thousand Gifts

The biggest misconception about time is that we need more of it. What we really need is to be present where we are, not the past nor the future, but where we are in the moment. You see as a society it's all about what we want, having more time, but it's all a lie. If you want a full life, live in the moments that you have been given. Focus on what is in front of you, not what's behind you or in the future. Breathe, relax, and soak in the precious moments of life. Live a life of thankfulness. Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving. Create a list if it helps, but live in the moments because before you know it, life is gone.

Eurcharisteo. Thanksgiving, it's amazing how thing's change when we start realizing how giving thanks changes our attitude. But probably the biggest thing from this chapter has been learning to understand time differently. It's not about needing more, but using the time we've been given wisely, using our time in a way that is better for us, for God, and for others around us. Time can be a sanctuary if we use the time we've been correctly, there are plenty of scripture pieces which speak on no worrying about the past or the future as today has enough worries of it' own. 

This book has been very humbling for me to read and it's had an impact beyond measure as God has used it in countless ways to help me see what needs changing. I've enjoyed reading this book so far, it's requiring more time to savor the book therefore less reading and more time to process what I'm reading. Which in turns less blogging, it's something that I would recommend everyone to read, even if you're not a Christian, there are a lot of good principles which can be learned. 

Hope you have a wonderful! Take care and God Bless!!