Time Limits (Trina Agee Cornell)

Trina is one of my heroes! We have been on many mission trips together in Honduras and I've grown to love and admire her. She's such a wonderful example, WCS has tried several times to persuade her to teach for us. Trina and her husband Bob live in St. Louis recently became parents to Connor! Pray for me as I continue my mission in Vietnam!

I was never a fan of time limits.  The mere mention of it takes me back to elementary school - and state testing.  Certain sections have certain time limits - and I was always rushing to finish before time expired.  The same went for high school - taking AP exams, the ACT, and the SAT provided that same rushed feeling.  I was always good with the English and math portions - but science reasoning?  Count me out! Definitely not my thing!

In some instances, time limits can be good things.  At the gym, I always set the timer to count down the minutes I have left - not count up from the bottom.  It's a mental thing - seeing how much time I have left is a motivator for me.  It shows me what I have accomplished - and how much I have left until the end.  Sometimes, it's not easy to get myself to the gym - but I always feel better when I'm finished - mentally and physically. 

We put time limits on ourselves in some of the worst ways.  I want to lose X number of pounds by this date - or I'll get started on that tomorrow.  I have put time limits on myself in these very ways - I am just going to eat what I want today, so I'll pick back up with the points tomorrow. I want to get this weight off before the end of the school year.  I would set these goals, and work hard toward them - but if I fell short one day, I had a tendency to be hard on myself.  It was difficult to refocus the next day - because I would be stuck, thinking about my past actions.  Eventually, I would find the strength to get started again, but it was inevitable that I would fail - and the cycle would begin again.  

If I have learned anything, it is this - you can't put a time limit on your life.  It is a daily decision you have to make - a consistent effort you have to put forth - in order for you to find your best.  Life is a journey you follow, day in and day out.  Time, to the Lord, is an interesting phenomenon.  James 4.14 says, “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone.” We never know how long we have here in this life – it is up to us to live it to the best of our abilities. Each new day we are given is a gift – thank the Lord for each and every one.

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
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E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com