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Time: The Key to the Kingdom
by Brian
Back in high school I heard a song by the Rolling Stones entitled "Time Is On My Side". I never gave much thought to the lyrics of the song nor did I give much thought to "time" itself. Of course as a teenager and young adult I figured I had all the time in the world. But that has changed. Now that I am a little older and wiser and have spent a number of mornings reflecting on the topic of "time," I realize that "time" is not on my side, but it is a gift from God.
My thoughts and reflections about the value/importance of time started last December when I heard that rock musician Joe Strummer, at the age of 50, died in his sleep. For those of you who never heard of Joe Strummer, he was the lead singer of The Clash a very influential rock band in the late 70's and early 80's and was currently leading his new band the Mescaleros. His death started me thinking about Our Lord's words "…for you do not know the day nor the hour."
Since none of us know when Our Lord will call us to judgment, "time" takes on a whole new dimension. It is a not a gift to be wasted or manipulated, but contains eternal value that cannot be taken for granted. Either we use the "time" we have to store up spiritual riches in Heaven or worldly treasures here on earth.
The bottom line is that I only have the present moment to love God and serve Him. I cannot count on tomorrow because tomorrow may never come and I cannot change my past because it is history, so to speak. All I need to do is choose how I am going to live each moment of every day. Will I live it for God or for myself?
Jesus calls me to use the time I have on earth, whether it is 50 more years or just one day, to love Him and my neighbor and to serve Him faithfully. As we all know, that which is simple can at times be most difficult. Nevertheless, we must make every effort to use the "time" God has given us to build up His Kingdom, a Kingdom of love.
God bless!