Hey guys! Who do you have time for? Do you have time for your kids? Do you have time for your wife? Is there a set family time? What about time for God? Is there a date night? What about set work hours? Time for chores? Time for __________? Time is something that is rather precious. Something that we can not get back and have no way to stop. So, dad, do you have time?
Jim Croce said it one way :
“If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I’d like to do
Is to save every day till eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you”
The Steve Miller Band said it like this :
“Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future”
Harry Chapin realized it a bit late with :
I’ve long since retired, my son’s moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, “I’d like to see you if you don’t mind”
He said, “I’d love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job’s a hassle and kids have the flu
But it’s sure nice talking to you, Dad
It’s been sure nice talking to you”
Time is something that we should treasure and be mindful that there is only a limited supply of. Sadly enough we normally come to this realization when it is to late to go back and do anything about it. Events have come and gone, recitals, dinners, parties, plays have all past away into time without you there. Moments slowly slide into the shadows and disappear. You remember having kids…them graduating…getting married…then what? Those dots between the major events of your kids life is the time that we let get away. You see dad, you must be proactive in spending time with your kids. You must make a choice to make adjustments to your time so as to spend time with your kids. Maybe it’s just taking one of them with you when you run errands. Maybe you take just your daughter out to eat on a “Daddy & Daughter Date Night”. Sneak in a ice cream with the boys when everyone else has gone to bed one night. Play the board game that they have been asking about and you always said no to playing. You must make time for your kids, or your remembrance of them will be a bunch of dots.
Now with all of the time that you are spending on the kids, let us not forget the birther of the kids. Yep, the wife, your closest friend, your lover, your confidant, your helper. You see, if you spend all the time with kids, you will not know who this lady is when they are gone, or start paying rent. Dad, you must spend time with your wife! Not only that you need to spend time with her in the way that she would want to spend time. That may mean that you watch “Pride & Predjudice” one night. You may need to take her out to dinner with her not making any decisions all night. Bring her breakfast in bed one morning. Maybe a warm cup of coffee while watching the stars on a blanket in the yard after the kids have been put to bed. You need to give her the undivided attention that you did when you were trying to convince her to marry you. When you do all of this great stuff, don’t do it with the thoughts of getting something back in return later that night! You know what I’m talking about!! Be a gentlemen and simply give with no thought of something in return. But give your time to your wife!
Now that you understand that you must give time to your kids, separate time to your wife, there is one more area that your time needs to go. How much time to you give the one who gives time? How much time do you give God? How much time to you spend with God? How much time are you in His Word, the Bible? You see, without Him, there is no time, there is no space, there is nothing. Just as it was in the begging before everything was created. As the dad in your house, it is your responsibility to teach your kids about God, His ways, His statues, His love, and His redemptive grace! That can not be done unless you are spending time with Him. Deuteronomy 6 reminds us that it is the responsibility of the men to pass down the knowledge of God. Dad, it’s time to step up and take the responsibility!
The truth of the matter is that we can not save time in a bottle, time it is slippin’ away, and before we know it our kids will be grown with their own life. Now is the time to make a difference. Now is the best time to change our old ways and focus on what is important. Do you have time to make the change? Turn off your device and go do it now!
Till next time,
I’m just a Husband of a Homeschooling Mom,
Steve Blackston