Inspiration October 09

Time Enough

Submitted by Tyrone P. Cooper, Durham,NC

Prayer focus: Those who worry

Read Matthew 6:25-34 Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. -Matthew 6:34 (NRSV) MODERN technology allows us to both speed up time and slow it down. In a television-makeover program, a garden or home is transformed in minutes. But in real life beautiful gardens take years of hard work, and redecorating is not as easy as it looks on TV. On the other hand, modern technology can also slow down time, as we see in the endless slow-motion replays of decisive moments in sporting events. The past is gone; the future comes at its own pace. In reality, we cannot rewind or speed up our life. We may look back with regret, anger, and resentment at all our dashed hopes, at all our “if onlys.” Or at times we may consider the future bleak and want to rush past it. But we cannot alter time. What we have is God’s gift of today and the freedom to choose how to live it. The apostle Paul gave us an example when he wrote, “Forgetting what is behind … I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14, NIV). Like Paul, we can take each day’s opportunities to use the gifts that God has given us. Anne Rasmussen (Somerset, England)

Prayer” O God, help us choose to use our time wisely, always grateful for all your gifts. Amen.

Thought for today: Worrying about the past or the future keeps us from taking joy in the present.