Every Second Counts
The concept of "every second counts" has been shared with me and others as a means to promote timeliness and efficiency. When it was first introduced, all I could think about was how much it was task-oriented and seeking to ensure every minute, down to the literal second, was accounted for in order to show productivity. There was no time for error or for the many small detours that may come up along the way. The focus was on efficiency and making use of every second of the day while in a particular setting. As a list person, this initially resonated with me, especially because it seemed to be connected with the idea of moving forward. But, I quickly realized that this is counterintuitive to how God wants us to live. If all we do is fill up our time with tasks and the many to-do's in life, how often do we allocate time for rest? How intentional are we in actually allowing ourselves time for rest and reflection?
After some time spent in reflection lately, God has been showing me how important it is to actually take time for rest. As I heard Michelle Benzinger of the Abiding Together Podcast say in more than one episode, "We are human beings, not human doings." Is it easier to do rather than just be? In the short term, maybe. But it does such a disservice to us as individuals and to those we love. Jesus didn't go from task to task without taking time to spend with the Lord. That's not what we are made for. If we are so caught up in moving from one thing to the next, we are, essentially, taking our humanity away from ourselves. We are taking the very thing that separates us as living and breathing children of God and turning ourselves into objects or tools. It's not how He created us.
While researching saints and meaningful quotes, I came across this one from Saint Francis de Sales:
“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. What is anything in life compared to peace of soul?”
If all we are doing is moving from one thing to the next, we can become stressed and harried from all of the doing and lose our peace. Instead of filling our days with jobs and tasks and hurriedness, what if we change the meaning behind this very concept that "every second counts" to include the parts of us that God made within each and every one of us, from the moment He formed us?
The world might be upset with us for having little to "show" for our time here on earth. But every second we spend here on earth isn't meant to be all there is to our lives if we truly believe there is life beyond earth in Heaven. Don't we want to spend every second we can doing things that will get us to Heaven? Including making time for God and our families and children? Don't we want to spend those precious seconds here on earth ensuring those we love will be with us in Heaven for eternity? Even if it means the “world” is upset with us?
I know now, more than ever, that that's what I want. I want to live my life making every second count by ensuring the sanctity of me and my loved ones so we can be together where "...there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away” (Revelations 21:4). The world where we were seemingly living for doing will no longer mean anything.
How will you make every second count?
