Time

Some things take time. 

Not more time than you or I have, but more time than we would like to give.

Last week I tweaked my back lifting weights. I felt it tighten up and knew what was about to happen. The first 2 days I was in such pain I could barely concentrate. This is what happens when you have herniated discs in your lower back and set one of them off. Move the wrong way and it’s like a pinball unleashed in your body. As a result, over the last week I’ve been to the chiropractor 3 times for stem and heat therapy, ultrasound, and adjustment. I’ve easily spent an accumulated hour on the floor stretching, at home and at the gym. I had to pass up playing golf. And needless to say, I haven’t done any deadlifts in the last 7 days. But every day, it’s loosening up. Each day it’s getting better.

When this happens though, what I WANT is to take a pill and it all be fixed.

But when this happens, what I NEED is to treat what caused the problem in the first place. What I NEED is to stretch and strengthen my leg and back muscles. What I NEED takes way more time then I WANT to give. But not more than I have.

Time requires waiting.

Waiting requires patience.

Patience demands priority.

Priorities require evaluations and decisions.

And very often those decisions are not between bad and good, but between good or better. 

Sometimes those decisions are between better and best. 

But choosing between better and best demands that I decide: What’s my priority? What’s more important?

And so if I choose best over better, this will demand that I choose patience. This is because (very often) the process and the waiting are just as important as the end result, outcome, goal, or destination. Our character doesn’t microwave. We are a slow burn people. And so what is best is almost always going to require waiting.

And waiting is going to require time. God set it all up this way.

The good news is, you & I have time. 

We just have to decide what we’re going to do with it. 

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16