Time Well Spent!

Have you ever misheard song lyrics? Anybody? 🙋‍♀️ As I was organizing my thoughts for the day, Lionel Richie started crooning in my mind, “Easy like a summer morning…” 🎵 (I know some of you are probably already giggling, but for the rest of us, I'll continue!) I have no idea where it came from, but that song was in my head to stay! I hummed contentedly and opened a YouTube video, ready to jam out and write about the connection between breezy summer days and our heart's need for rest and renewal. It was going to be great! And then…

Lionel sang, “Easy like a Sunday morning…" 🤯 🤦‍♀️ 😂 💀

…and with my analogy busted, I listened to it about 5 times, clicked through a myriad of other suggested clips from Dolly to Brandi Carlile, and realized I'd burned 30 minutes! Oh well. Time well spent, am I right?

How do we judge “time well spent?" How do we qualify that? It's easy to feel frustrated when we consider our time “wasted.” (Coulda, woulda, shoulda!) We like to assign a value to our various tasks because our currency is our all-too-precious time. Our days shimmer before us with possibility each morning, hours to be filled with errands, tasks, meetings to check off and earn us a gold star. (And yes, I do like those!) Rationing time is a full-time job. We know it. 

…but what if that's not really our job?

There have been seasons of my life where I could move some mountains! Kicking butt and taking names! Maximizing the potential of every moment. At the time, it felt responsible and praise-worthy. When I look back on it now, I see a girl desperate to control the chaos, fingers clenching my lists instead of holding on to the Hand who controls all things…Shall I call that, “time wasted?”

I don't think so.

Perspective is a beautiful thing! When cancer abruptly pulled me out of the season I knew, my relationship with time changed. I had so many minutes to fill, but wasn't sure about years. “Wasting time” had a new meaning for me. I saw that by checking off my lists and focusing on the end result, I had been missing the process: the daily, redeeming walk with Jesus. 

In this new season of life, the metrics by which I value tasks have changed. “Time well spent” looks like nurturing my body and spirit. “Time well spent” sounds like a snoring, fluffy cat snoozing on my lap. 😊 Time resting in His presence, enjoying His goodness, and savoring precious moments will always be time well spent! He has blessed me with just-right gifts to steward in this season, AND He has shown me that we're in this together. Rationing time may be a full-time job, but it's His job. If I hadn't fought that so hard for so long, this season wouldn't be as sweet today. So no, that chaos wasn't wasted time, either. I look back on that girl with kindness- she was just doing the best she could!

"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." - Colossians 1:17

I hope you know that however busy or barren your days may feel, we all share a common purpose: to walk with Jesus. Asking Him for help, smiling at sweetness He's placed before you, and sharing His love with others. It's a process, not a list to be checked. He loves us more than we can ever imagine, and we don't have to prove anything with gold stars. And if we're stewarding what God has placed before us and in our hearts with care and intention, that time is well spent, indeed. ♥️

…now go listen to some Lionel Richie and smile in the sunshine today!

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Meet Our Guest Writer Caitlan Reese Killian

Caitlan is a writer and Metastatic Breast Cancer thriver. She began blogging after a devastating diagnosis in 2019, but found healing through words. Her writing encourages women to see and celebrate God’s goodness in all areas of life. She publishes the “Goodness & Grace” email newsletter and hosts the “Goodness & Grace” podcast. Her small business, Still Good Co, is an apparel line that raises awareness and funding for metastatic breast cancer research. You can find Caitlan snuggling her fluffy cat, Moo, or daytripping with her sweet husband, Andrew, looking forward to the future. 

A Special Gift for You! “Guidposts of Goodness” Toolkit

The more goodness we seek, the more we find! So let’s look for it! I created this toolkit to help women cultivate an awareness of God’s goodness in their lives. Start with this simple devotion and journal prompts to see and celebrate God’s goodness around you!

www.caitlanreesekillian.com