Recently Anne Lamont wrote a wonderful piece on aging. The best line, IMO, was a quote from her friend Pammy. Pammy, who was dying of cancer at the time, went shopping with Anne who was looking for a new dress. When Anne asked her if the dress she was trying on made her hips look big, Pammy responded, “Annie, you don’t have that kind of time.”
That line really struck home for me. This fall several people close to us, including family members, saw the end of their time here on earth. And the reality of being thirty-two twice (a favorite expression of my Mom for calculating age) makes me blink a bit at having more time behind me than ahead of me.
The consideration of what exactly I do have that kind of time for has been a significant part of my year end reflections. It’s relatively easy for me to designate what I don’t have that kind of time for: petty quarrels, trying to fix someone else, judgey jealousy, stuff that is pretty easy to say, “yea, nope”.
It’s harder to choose what I will have that kind of time for. And to then be purposeful about it. What would God have me deliberately spend my time on? What actions, not just some great platitudes.
It turns out that even if you aren’t thirty-two twice, you don’t have that kinda time either. In a world gone mad with distractions and drama, what deserves our attention and investment of time, talent, and treasure?
Just Sayin' 