Blog Post No. 22 - Reading Time: 4:55

Since today is Memorial Day, I almost feel compelled to say something honoring our fallen soldiers and the sacrifices they and their families made for the freedoms we enjoy. However, that’s just not where my heart is this morning. Besides, so many people are posting Memes and whatnot that it almost makes any comment concerning our nations military seem kind of trite. Some people don’t know what to say and some are not good with words, so they pick up some image from the internet and post it to help them express their gratitude. Others seem to have no lack of words or I simply nod my head and take a pass on the lengthy text some have copied and pasted from some other source.

It all means well, but sometimes you need a break from everything that is expected from you. It’s like walking into Walmart and right at the front door is everything you are supposed to buy for the next celebration that is coming up. Again, I appreciate their effort in helping me not to have to think, but even then it just distracts me from why I’m really there. (Ever go in for a gallon of milk and walk out with a cart full?)

Our family celebrates Memorial Day on the Saturday before. We always do this each year because my son Phillip’s birthday is so close to Memorial Day that we make it part of his birthday celebration. It’s probably one of the few times I actually fire up the grill and cook steaks and bake potatoes for our meal. Susan always makes a special cake for Phillip. It’s a day with our two sons to eat, talk, pray, and play board games into the evening.

A Different Feeling

So the Monday after our family get togethers doesn’t feel like a holiday to me. It feels more like a day to play catch up. (Which I am actually doing right now.) I awake each morning with a task list laying on my desk. I must do some of them. Others I can just take my pick. It’s a never-ending, ever-growing list anyways. Days off seem like a good time to not add to the list, but try to mark some off those tasks of the list.

All that brings me to the real point of today’s blog: You schedule events you value.

Some people say they don’t have time for this or that, but the truth is, they don’t have it on their schedule. They just feel it’s probably something they should do, but not being interested in it, they just pass it by. It never appears as a note on their daily calendar of events.

On the other hand, there are things they would never miss, It could be as light as their favorite TV series, or it could be as weighty as their next doctor’s appointment. We schedule our concerns.

Thinking About Things

The reason I highlight this line of thinking is because I finally began to analyze the things I value by looking at my schedule. Do I value time in the Word of God? If so, when have I scheduled it? Do I value prayer? Okay, when is my prayer time? Do I value time with my family? Where is that on my schedule this week? What about our jobs? Of course, we set an alarm for them each day. I worked a year and a half over at the school the last couple of years—never missed a day and I was never late. Why? It was important to my family. We schedule events we value. And we show up! In 15 years of ministry here at Calvary I have missed attending to the pulpit two Sundays because of illness. Why so few? I value the call of God on my life and the sheep need to be fed no matter how I feel.

I could also include attending church in this concept, but we all knew where I was going with this. I value the people of our church. I need time with them. It’s hard enough to maintain a deeper relationship with them with just spending a few hours one day a week anyway. Once I start placing other things before them, I soon lose my passion for their fellowship.

Why and When

On this holiday, examine your schedule. What does it say about you? What does it show that you value in your life? Your time is your life. How you spend it is up to you. I know you think it’s not, but it truly is. Choose wisely how and with whom you spend your most valuable asset—your time. Learn to schedule what you say you value and amazingly, other things will fit in around what you actually value—and the value of the things you schedule will grow.

Your task list and your daily calendar will teach you a lot about what kind of person you really are.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith;
 test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus
 is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

1st Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

Until next Monday, may the Lord bless you! Pray for us!

Pastor Brian Jenkins

Calvary Assemblies of God

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