Extended Time

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Time is often the biggest source of pressure in our lives. Imagine you have a bill to pay or project to complete and it's due 5 years from now versus tomorrow. The difference in time creates much more pressure. To give someone extended time, is to give them grace. We even call it a grace period. 

I believe God built time and change into the world because he loves us too much to let us stay the way we are right now. But, God gives us extended time to get things right. The other night I was reading in the gospels about the disciples asking Jesus when everything would be fulfilled in his kingdom. And Jesus told them, 'It's not for you to know the dates and times the Father has set." 

This may be a silly question but why are we not supposed to know this? I think it is because God uses this principle of extended time, and if we knew the dates and times we would think they are too far out. 

The gift of extended time is also something we can implement into our own lives and with other people. Whenever we are setting deadlines and time expectations we can take a lot of pressure off of ourselves and others by giving more time than we think we need. We can also build more time into our schedule rather than trying to cram everything in. Life needs to have a balance of a high sense of urgency to get things done today while also taking the pressure of unrealistic deadlines off of ourselves and others. 

In today's communion it is a time of gratitude for this grace of extended time and asking for God's help to walk in this principle at a higher level in our lives. 

I am praying for you. 

Daniel