God's Time

God's time.

What do you think of when you hear that term?

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(I'll give you a few moments to think about that.)

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Does it make you think of things working out on a schedule you cannot control? Perhaps you're thinking about how God's timing is different than human timing? Or, does it make you think about it being the time to let someone go/pass away because it's in God's hands?

While I was driving up the parking garage at the hospital this morning for Ministry of Care (MOC), I was turning that very term, God's time, over and over in my head. Suddenly, I was struck with a thought, a different thought from the ones I listed above:

What if we started thinking of the term "God's time" in terms of every moment of the day belonging to God instead of to us?

There are times when I may be upset that I am spending way too long grading middle school assessments, or I may be frustrated because a meeting runs later than expected. I may think I don't have enough time to spend at the hospital or that I would rather do something else on a weekend than be doing things for school.

But if I stop complaining and, instead, think about this very thought - that all time belongs to God - I suddenly realize it's not my time in the first place. What I consider as my time is actually a gift from God; it doesn't belong to me. It's more like it's on loan. God just wants me to use it.

And when I think that, how can I be focused on any time constraints or frustration. When I think of time as a gift freely given to me, why shouldn't I spend it with others? Why shouldn't I use that time to work through meetings/disagreements with others? Why shouldn't I use that time to better my teaching and prepare my lessons to be the best they can be for the upcoming week?

God's time. That's what it really is. It's a gift...and it's mine...but it's not for me... Instead, it's for me to use for others.