Chapter 1 - Waking: 24 Hours
Waking: 24 Hours
One of my best friends has repeatedly insisted when I talk with her about my life that I am somehow given a few extra hours in a day to get things accomplished. She says it in admiration as she marvels at all that I manage to get done in a day. I laugh at her and shake my head at the absurdity of that idea (although I am secretly flattered). It certainly doesn’t feel that way from my perspective most days!
Maybe I should pull out my copy of Liturgy of the Ordinary and read to her someone else’s stalwart sentiment: “Whether you’re Mother Teresa or a stay-at-home mom, whether you’re a revolutionary, a student, or a tax attorney, life is lived in twenty-four hour days. We have bodies; we lag in energy; we learn slowly; we wake daily and don’t know what lies ahead” (22).
How do you typically spend those twenty-four hours that have been given to you? If you were to have someone follow you and write down everything you do (because of course, you don’t want to spend your time making that list…), what would be the categories of time in your life? Psalm 90:12 beseeches God to, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
If you grew up in the 90s, you might remember the Diamond Rio song that was on the radio frequently after the attack on 9/11; here are a few of the lyrics: Diamond Rio - One More Day (Official Audio)
Looking at the concept of these 24 hour bundles we have been gifted by God time and time again, it can be convicting how we fill those minutes - are you imagining your list of what your shadow wrote down while she followed you? Are you feeling good about where your time goes? How can you be intentional today about the gift of time and how you spend it? Annie Dillard penned this piece of wisdom: “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” As Rebekah Lyons reminds herself (and us as well), “Today is the proving ground of what I believe and of whom I worship” (23). I would venture to add into that statement, WHAT I worship as often our minutes are sacrificed at the altar of so many different things that are really not helping me to grow into a better version of myself. For after all, as Lyons says, “How I spend this ordinary day in Christ is how I will spend my Christian life” (24).
Perhaps the best way you can marinate in this idea and to begin a day with that focus is to take a few of your first moments each morning to close your eyes and pray. If you need help with the words, here’s a prayer I found composed by Emily Rose Massey in her devotional on the website for Crosswalk from July 25:
Father God,
Help me to see time, not as a thief, but as a gift from You. Although You exist outside of time, You have caused time to exist and have a purpose for me to fulfill while I am here on this earth. I ask that You would help me overcome the temptation to waste my time or give into laziness. Like Moses prayed, teach me to number my days that I may use them wisely and for Your glory. I want to make every moment full of God-honoring choices that point those around me to You that they may come into a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to untangle from worldly pursuits that are not fruitful and give my all to your Kingdom work and purposes. My life is in Your hands, and I am grateful for every breath that comes from You as it is another opportunity to praise You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
