#time #valuetheordinary by: Deborah Ard
It is time to get up. It is time to go. What time will we be there? What time are you picking me up? What time are we eating? The list of questions and statements about time could go on and on. And they each could have been asked or said in any given day. Time is important to us, whether we realize it or not.

Last week while listening to the radio I heard the announcer tell about an island off the coast of Norway that has daylight for over 2 months with no night or darkness. The reporter stated that due to the long times of daylight and no night the people of the town had started a petition to do away with clocks and time. I have later learned that this was a story made up for publicity and to entice people to visit Norway. Nevertheless the idea of having no clocks made me think. My first thought was how nice it would be to not be tied to a schedule. We could all be footloose and fancy free. It would be like being on vacation all the time. However the more I thought about it the more I realized this would not be a good idea. By nature I am a planner. One of my favorite things is to get a new calendar at the beginning of school or a new year. I love the blank pages ready for new possibilities and opportunities. And I love going through and writing the constants such as birthdays and anniversaries. I am excited when I can plan our family’s weekly schedule and our meals. And as Col. John “Hannibal” Smith from the A Team said, “I love it when a plan comes together.” So no I cannot imagine living without a watch, clock, or time. How would we make Dr. appointments, meet for lunch dates, or know when to watch our favorite show? We are instructed in the Bible about the value of time. Psalm 90:12 says: “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Time is valuable. God wants us to realize the importance of using our time wisely while also not being too tied to our schedules. This week our family was blessed with a spur of the moment stay at Black River. This opportunity forced me to change gears and slow down. What a blessing! One night this week I would have loved to have been able to freeze all the clocks and stop time. All four of my family members were sitting in the den here at the river. A baseball game was on tv and we were all content to be still and together in one place. What a beautiful moment in time. Of course I have many special memories and will make many others like this but this week since the word “time” was on my mind, I wanted to be able to stop the clocks. I share all this because while we need to be aware of managing our time and controlling our calendar as Julie instructed us last week, we also need to pay attention to the value of the ordinary. It seems we are always planning for what’s next when actually the mundane can be the biggest gift. Sometimes cleaning the house, washing clothes, unloading the dishwasher, etc. could be a blessing if we allow it. Today is the day after a holiday. Many of us had big plans yesterday and today may be a letdown. But allow God to open your eyes to the blessings of today. I challenge you to cherish the humdrum and value the ordinary. You may just find that you may want to freeze all clocks and stop time. And when that happens, take a snapshot of the memories you are making and thank God for His hand on your time.