IT’S OCTOBER

Summer is still very much a part of us.

Where I live in the Pacific Northwest, it’s a time in which nature does its best to remind us of summer’s joys. Warm days. New life. Growth. Sunshine. Children. Vacations. Baseball. Swimming. Hot Dogs. Campfires.

But the touch of autumn is with us, too.

The sky seems to see it first. Then the leaf turns. Days are extra clear. Nights are extra crisp. The smell of wood burning in the fireplace. Hot chocolate. Football. Children at the corner, waiting for the school bus. Roll the clock back an hour for another six months.

Time.

It’s the one thing we all have in equal amounts. We try to control it. Standard time. Daylight time. But still it arrives and disappears in 24 hour allotments.

It’s God’s gift to mankind.

What are we doing with it?

Here is a “what if” to think about. What if God suddenly declared, “Time’s up!” where would you be? How would you feel?

And if you heard him say, “Time was my special gift to you. I wanted you to use some for your own pleasure. And some was to be given to your family. Your friends. Your community. Your world. And, yes, I expected you to set a portion of your time aside just for me. In worship. In relationship. In service. So now, let’s check the records to see what you did with your time. . .”

What would be your response?

Time is influence.

Spend it well. Invest it carefully. Use it wisely.

For yourself.

For others.

And don’t forget, God wants our time, too. When we put him first. . . the rest of our time seems to stretch farther. . . to express enjoyment. . . to bring fulfillment. . . in greater measure than we ever thought possible.

So teach us to number

         our days

that we may get a heart of

         wisdom.

Satisfy us in the morning

         with your steadfast love,

that we may rejoice and

         be glad all our days.