Times keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking... into the future!

It's that time of year again that every year comes. One year on its verge of setting its sun. Another year just over the horizon begging to dawn. A familiar year rests its weary head. And one not known yet raises his. One races to sleep. The other anxious to wake. What will the new introduce us to? What joy will it sing? What sorrow will it bring? When it's done what will it be remembered for? What will be accomplished? What will stand out? What significant thing will happen to stay permanently fixed and embedded as its memorial? What will we do with the new time that's present-ed and given to us?

Okay. So back to the title: Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking... into the future. The words to the song is really, "Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping... into the future." Not those that I started with. Most of all of us know the words to the song, "Fly like an eagle, Let my spirit carry me. I want to fly like an eagle, Till I'm free. Oh, Lord, through the revolution." 

But, sadly, it's these words of the song that I didn't know:

"Feed the babies

Who don't have enough to eat.

Shoe the children

With no shoes on their feet.

House the people

Living in the street.

Oh, Oh, there's a solution."

Wow! It's those words that I like! And as time continues (its quick slipping by) it's the vision of those words that I want... that I more long to live by! Feeding those that are hungry. Shoeing those don't have any. Housing the homeless. Pouring love out and on those that don't know what and Who Love really is, because they haven't met Him, don't know Him, have never actually seen nor been touched by Him.

In other words, I don't want to waste this year. I don't want it lived in vain. I don't want to throw it away. I don't want it to end having nothing to show for it. I don't want to live it living only for self!

Tim and I went to a movie the other day. We went to see The Blind Side. It was incredible!!! I'd heard it was good. Could tell it was by the trailer. But wow, it had the crowd leaving wanting to do something to make a difference in hopes to change the life of someone. I left telling Tim (actually, I warned him before the movie began) that perhaps this movie is going to cost us a whole lot more than just the price of the ticket to get in to see it. It's one that hopefully will cost us a lot more! I hope it prompts us to think more of other people. I want to SEE them! I don't want to be one that always passes them by! I want to live intentionally trying to make a difference to somebody else somewhere. Not totally self-consumed and thinking only of me and my circle. It's what I want to do! It's how I want to live! And may God remind me every time I forget... because it's sure easy to get caught up in your own life and not give thought about anybody else's. Not that we necessarily mean to, it's just that life has a ways of keeping our every minute busy. And on our rare off moments, we just want to sit and chill.

I can't change my yesterdays, but I can use them. I can learn from them. I can help someone because of where I've been. And goodness knows, I can work toward changing my future. But even more than that, I can work toward changing the future of as many somebody else's that God strategically and purposefully puts in my path! If I truly want to. If I take the time to. If I'm willing to pay the price that needs paying. If I'll follow Jesus' lead and lay my life down for the life of someone else's.

Somewhere there's a baby that's hungry, a child with no shoes, a person with no place to lay safe in their bed. There are orphans with no families, people stuck in their prisons, and multitudes that are seeking, but don't know it's Jesus they're looking for. What are we waiting on? If not me? If not you? Then who will reach out? Who will go? Who will tell them? Who will give them hope?

Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking..... Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping into the future. Go! Hurry! Someone's waiting on you and life is short, we don't have much more time left! Let's try hard not to waste the time that we're given and the purpose we are still left here for!