Redeeming the Time when You’re Short on Time

Just last month I was having a conversation with my husband about all the different projects and paths in front of me.  Not sure of what to pursue and what to let go of, I asked myself this question,

“If I had only 30 days left to live, where would I spend my time?”

At the core of that question, I was basically asking myself what activities, projects, and people would I want to invest in knowing my time here on earth would be short.  Asking myself this gave me tremendous clarity.

Wanting council about my situation, I brought the question to my husband and a close girlfriend of mine.  The answers they gave me were the same as my own.

Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success. Prov. 15:22 (NLT)

Then I took those answers and moved forward with my planning.  Being that this girl can’t do it all, the things that didn’t make my ‘this means the world to me’ list, got removed from my plate.

Then last week I heard from my dermatologist that I have two different forms of skin cancer.  One is a non issue but the other one is a threat to my body.  I certainly wasn’t surprised from the news since I feel like I’ve been keeping cancer at bay from invading my body for well over a decade now.

Between years of alternative health treatments, eating natural and organic foods, drinking disgusting green shakes, consuming copious amounts of natural supplements, and using essential oils, I’ve done everything I can to keep my body from becoming a toxic wasteland.

The words I uttered hypothetically, “If I only had 30 days to live”, took on a whole new meaning. It caused my heart to really pause and consider the life I was living.  The one I was pursuing.  And the one I wasn’t pursuing.

Would I make any changes to my life?

Would I stay the course?

Be more intentional and redeem the time?

I can’t help but ask myself the following questions (and I’ll ask them of you too so you can ponder and process your life.)

Are you and I living the life God wants us to live now?  In this present moment?

Or are we waiting for things to change?

Are we living in fear, doubt, uncertainty?  This is where I’m residing right now in this present moment.  Not because of the cancer diagnosis but because of a mission that God is calling me to embark on.  It’s a mission that scares me way more than cancer.  The undertaking is too big for me.  It overwhelms my brain and my tender heart feels like it can’t handle the pressure of scrutiny.

But this mission is on my ‘must do before I die’ list.  I can’t walk away from it and let it fall by the wayside. However, I know I need to walk hand in hand with Jesus otherwise I’ll runaway in fear.

What is on your ‘must do’ list?  Are there relationships in your life you’d like to build?  Christ-centered passions you’d like to pursue?

Will you use the time God has given to you in the best possible way?

Every person has 24 hours in the day.  We are all busy.  We have things to do, places to go, and people to see.  But are we making the most of our time?  Do our choices best reflect Jesus and what He wants to do in us and through us?

Wisdom for Your World:

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Eph. 5:15

Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.  Eph. 5:16

Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Eph. 5:17

If you only had 30 days left to live, would you make any changes to your life?  What would you pursue?  Share in the comments.

Live a poured out life for Christ,

Jolene Engle