Brevity

Brevity

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.

THE SHIFT HAPPENED SUDDENLY. One day I was in a familiar groove—getting the older kids off to elementary school, dropping my youngest daughter at preschool, working at home for a few quiet hours before returning for preschool pickup—and then, suddenly, the routine was gone.

My kids were home from school unexpectedly, but I still needed to get work done. Normally a night owl, I found myself going to bed earlier so I could wake earlier each morning. In the quiet dawn hours while my children slept, I would sit with my coffee and laptop, moving quickly through my to-do list. Those early, uninterrupted hours were my best opportunity to get work accomplished before children stumbled down the stairs to snuggle up beside me on the chair or tell me about their dreams.

As I realigned my schedule, I found myself reorganizing how I spent my time. Admittedly, it was challenging to get all my work done in those early morning hours. But, strangely, I had more time than I thought I would throughout the rest of the day. As I reevaluated my schedule, I realized that I had time for more important items if I streamlined some of the activities that had sucked away my attention. More time for art projects with my kids; less time for scrolling social media. More time valuing the quiet and solitude of the morning; less time trying to squeeze in the TV shows or books on my phone that kept me up late at night. In the busyness of life, I’d lost sight of what mattered to me and forgotten how brief and precious this life truly is.

Those pockets of time I’d previously overlooked were now essential. And reevaluating how I chose to spend each hour of my day made me realize how precious a commodity it was. It’s true that life is brief and precious—but it’s equally true that it’s easy to take it for granted. Unexpected challenges are often the greatest catalyst for recognizing and realigning our lives, if we take the time to let them change us.

Lord, help us recognize the value of each moment of our lives. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Step: How can rethinking your schedule in the context of the brevity of life help realign how you allot each day’s hours? Today, write down your daily schedule to see if there are pockets of time you would be better served utilizing in a new or different way.