Make hay while the sun shines; strike while the iron is hot; do not count the minutes, make the minutes count… All these phrases were taught to me at an early age in regards to my athletic endeavors, my schoolwork and most importantly, my habit of procrastination. They found their place in my vernacular, but did not always stick when it came to putting them into practice.
Six months ago, when we were thrust into quarantine, none of these phrases came to the surface. The rules of each day became simple and lent themselves easily to stagnation and repeat limited functions that wore thin almost immediately. It wasn’t long before patience in our house became a scarce resource and authentic excitement was a hot commodity. As parents we were ruled by safety measures, and what was best for our family was staying home and keeping up with the state of the world. Our regular work was put on hold, and we fell easily into more screen time, lots of pajama wearing and a lack of motivation to create, complete projects and relax fully. Unfortunately, we began looking inward and in forming a physical bubble, we accidentally created a spiritual and emotional bubble.
15 Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:15-17
The days truly were evil because we let doubt and uncertainty creep in and eat away at our spirit. When we began to be intentional with our time and resources, we found so much new energy of the spirit. We called our friends and family, we made visits to the porches of others. We gave to causes that we were moved by and that we believed in. Projects were finally started in our home and we were able to buy our house in June. Visions of a brighter future beyond isolation became clearer and hope is now stronger than ever in our house. We are pushing ahead and remembering that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. I say to you today, strike while the iron is hot. Our lives are before us.
How will you choose what to do with your time?
Written By: Matt Morrison