{"id":787247,"date":"2013-02-07T05:20:45","date_gmt":"2013-02-07T05:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.centerdeep2.com\/riverbendprep\/?p=787247"},"modified":"2013-02-07T05:20:45","modified_gmt":"2013-02-07T05:20:45","slug":"the-gift-of-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.centerdeep2.com\/riverbendprep\/2013\/02\/07\/the-gift-of-time\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gift of Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Pocket-Watch-GraphicsFairy\"<\/a>
\nIn past posts I mentioned a little about our journey with my mom. \u00a0One of the biggest blessings through the whole process was the gift of TIME. \u00a0This was what I focused on for the first few weeks. \u00a0While I was creating memories with my mom, family, and friends, I had two other friends receive a phone call that both of their father’s were fading fast and to come and say goodbye. \u00a0I thought I had received that call that evening in October. \u00a0Both of their parents passed away shortly upon their arrival. \u00a0God kept mom on this earth for slightly over two months. \u00a0The gift of time.<\/p>\n

My mother was spared the burden of the ravages of chemo and radiation that accompanies cancer, or a condition that robs the mind, like Alzheimer’s. \u00a0Although she endured horrific bouts of pain and nausea, the episodes would come and go. \u00a0She was still able to spend quality time with the ones she loved. \u00a0We reveled in KAIROS.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The ancient Greeks have two words for time, Chronos<\/em> and Kairos<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Our culture perceives time as Chronos<\/em> – chronologically. \u00a0We view time as something that we measure and quantify. \u00a0It is something that we view as valuable and not something to waste. \u00a0Time is something we view as “ours”, as if \u00a0we “own” it.<\/p>\n

How would your speech change of you believed time is something that belongs to God? \u00a0That time is a gift He gives to us.<\/p>\n

Psalm 90:4<\/b> \u2013 \u201cfor a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

2 Peter 3:8<\/b>\u00a0 says \u2013 \u201cBut do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Proverbs 16:1-4<\/b> \u201cTo humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue.\u00a0 All a person\u2019s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD.\u00a0 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, \u2028and he will establish your plans.\u00a0 The LORD works out everything to its proper end\u2014 even the wicked for a day of disaster. (This is a good reminder that no matter how wonderful your plans and intentions are, they must eventually give way to God\u2019s.\u00a0 Do you make it a habit of setting your plans, ALL YOUR PLANS, before God for His approval?<\/p>\n

Kairos<\/strong>, <\/em>on the other hand,\u00a0<\/em>focuses on the quality and the content of time itself, independent of length.\u00a0 It is filled with opportunity; eternal significance and possibility.\u00a0 It is a time of circumstances and relationships.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Galatians 6:9-10<\/b> says, \u201cLet us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.\u00a0 Therefore, as we have OPPORTUNITY (this word derived from kairos<\/em>), let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.\u201d<\/p>\n

When God provides you with opportunities (try not to think of them as interruptions), what is often the nature of these opportunities?\u00a0 This was a huge thing for me.\u00a0 Shifting my thought process from perceiving an interruption (messing up with my chronos<\/em> timeframe), to an opportunity, (the present kairos<\/em> moment full of possibility.)<\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 \u201c<\/b>Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.\u201d (This verse is often mentioned regarding finances, but I can see it \u00a0relating to time as well.)<\/p>\n

What if we shifted our perception of time from Chronos<\/em> to Kairos<\/em>?\u00a0 If we can thank God for His provision, and express for the opportunities He gives us to love others, the opportunities he\u2019s allowing us to share.\u00a0 That out of our love for Him, we can freely give of ourselves without reluctance or compulsion. \u00a0Each moment is a gift of TIME.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In past posts I mentioned a little about our journey with my mom. \u00a0One of the biggest blessings through the whole process was the gift of TIME. \u00a0This was what I focused on for the first few weeks. \u00a0While I was creating memories with my mom, family, and friends, I had two other friends receive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-787247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personal-reflections"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centerdeep2.com\/riverbendprep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centerdeep2.com\/riverbendprep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centerdeep2.com\/riverbendprep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centerdeep2.com\/riverbendprep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centerdeep2.com\/riverbendprep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=787247"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.centerdeep2.com\/riverbendprep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":787249,"href":"https:\/\/www.centerdeep2.com\/riverbendprep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787247\/revisions\/787249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centerdeep2.com\/riverbendprep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=787247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centerdeep2.com\/riverbendprep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=787247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centerdeep2.com\/riverbendprep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=787247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}