What do we have time for?

     Trevor Noah, host of "The Daily Show" has a re-occurring segment entitled "Ain't Got Time For That!"  He reports on the news, issues like executive orders, what Congress has voted on, and other news, but says, "We ain't got time for that" because of some tweet our President has posted, or some comment that Kellyann Conway or Sean Spicer has said.  
     Well, I began to think, What do we have time for?  We live in a fast paced world and society, where we read Facebook posts about "remembering when we caught lightening bugs and played outside until dark", so what do we have time for?  I began a list, "What we need to have time for", and here it is:

1.  We need to have time for ourselves.  There are personalities who think of everyone else and not of themselves.  That is benevolent, kind and for many, the Christian Way.  However, we are taught that our body is a temple and because of that, we are called to take care of ourselves.  Recently, I read an article saying that we need to take care of our animal. (and this is very paraphrased)  The question was asked by the facilitator, "If you had a pet, how would you care for it?  The answer was, "I'd feed it, hold it, love it and protect it."  The facilitator responded, "You too are an animal, take care of yourself like you would your pet."  That requires more than just food and water; it requires exercise, enough rest, attention, those are things we need to have time for.

2.  We need to have time for loved ones.  It doesn't loved ones is defined as family and blood relatives, or if loved ones is defined as neighbors and best friends, we need to take time for them. Relationships of all kinds are what shape us into the people we are.  We say we ain't got time to meet the crew for drinks after work or we ain't got time to drive over to "Uncle Eb's place" but life is precious and we really don't have control over it, so take time for those loved ones.  That time is priceless.

3.  We need to have time for prayer.  Whomever you pray to, take time to do it.  If you listen to the news, we are in need of Divine Inspiration, and that is calling on all faiths, all belief systems, for such help.  As a Christian, I find that being able to take my concerns, my apprehensions, my petitions for others, my celebrations and hopes, and giving them to God does make my life seem better.  I believe that the Will of God will be done, even when that Will doesn't agree with what I think should happen, and I have the faith to know that it will all be okay.  No matter what time of day or night, prayer time is time well spent.

4.  We need to have time to laugh.  As a society, we look at life too seriously and we do not laugh enough.  At times, laughter is the best medicine.  Enjoy a good comedy, read jokes in a joke book or in Reader's Digest, or watch cat videos online.  Ed Wynn in Mary Poppins is right, "The more I laugh, The more I fill with glee, And the more the glee, The more I'm a merrier me."  
Source: <a href="http://www.elyrics.net/read/m/mary-poppins-lyrics/i-love-to-laugh-lyrics.html">click here</a> 

5.    We need to have time for "appropriate service".  These first four items have been time for us, personally.  For me, "appropriate service"is the time we give to ministry and mission.  We all have gifts and talents to share, that is our stewardship our discipleship. But we need to balance service time with personal time.  That is something each of us need to seek individually; what is good for one person might not be good for another.  Find your place to make a difference in other people's lives and enjoy it as you serve.

       Those are 5 of my areas that I think we need to have time for.  What are yours?
Happy Summer!
Olivia