Life Is Short
We all heard it in our youth: "When you get older, time seems to slip through your fingers."
Some things can only be learned by experience. The true value of time is one. Any sincere young person could tell you that time is our most important asset. Yet it seems that until we've lived long enough to feel a twinge of regret for time wasted, we won't truly understand its worth.
As my sweet wife mentioned in a recent blog, she is a perfectionist. I am too. When you're a newlywed perfectionist it's easy to be patient with your spouse's faults; after all, you have years to refine them! But alas, their habits die almost as hard as ours; the toilet paper is still mounted backwards.
Sound silly? Maybe. But those little sources of irritation, if we allow them to affect us, will drain the joy from our marriage.
A few weeks ago I was thinking about my remaining years of life. For some reason, I'm beginning to see that my days are numbered. It's time to get my priorities straight. Am I accomplishing anything that matters for eternity?
When it comes to marriage, there's alot to enjoy. Suddenly, realizing that my time on Earth is limited, those petty irritations of married life or child-raising don't seem to matter as much. Or at all. Each moment spent fretting about something minor is a moment in which love could be expressed instead.
Me? I'm going to start overlooking people's faults more often, choosing rather to appreciate them for who they are. There is so much criticism flying around these days; the old "Ten pounds of praise to one pound of correction" quip is rarely practiced. I can't think of one relationship in which I've maintained this 10:1 ratio. It's especially hard with those close to us - we're afraid that praise will make them think we accept them they way they are. God forbid we let them off the hook!
Love your neighbor as yourself. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Is this really that hard? I think not. Life is short, and the return on love's investment comes quickly.
posted by Alan at 00:03
5 Comments:
"I guess I hang the toilet paper backwards," whispers Heather.
Life is short, and the return on love's investment comes quickly.
I love how you summed up these thoughts. It was good for me to read this, because it's easy for me in the busyness and youthfulness (is 20+ youthful?? :)) of life to get caught up in the moment and forget the whole sphere of eternity. And really, what do those stupid, petty little things we critic in relationships matter in light of the fact we're not all going to be here forever. The investment of love is what is lasting, and what matters. Who cares about the toilet paper roll? :)
I say who cares about the toilet paper roll too. Or even cantankerous personalities for that matter. There's more to life that's yet to be enjoyed -- even within the "confines" of one's own marriage and family. Investments in love pay fast.
Great post! And I like your blog. It's so guyish. (or would that be masculine instead?!)
"May love overthrow all that has governed you till now, all the strong arguments by which your assessments are made, and with their expulsion, may you forget your former limits that accompanied them and allow love to establish new ones. May there be elastic in the seams." -D Teems
I Thought this went well with what you wrote.
Great post! I wonder if we (Christians) will ever realize how much damage our critizing of one another is hurting the body of Christ. On the other hand the joy that floods our hearts as we go out of our way to love even the unlovable. Such liberty is found when we love others as ourselves.
Thanks for the reminder.
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