A Message from the Rev’d Amanda Collinson

Posted by Admin on 31 January 2015, 7:00 am

Amanda Collinson

Priest-in-Charge

St John the Baptist Church

Northwood.

Tel: 01983 294913

Email: revamandacollinson@virginmedia.com

Hello there!
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‘Time, time, time, see what’s become of me?’ Simon and Garfunkel sang this particular line back in the day, and I must admit I said it to myself this last week….
Where is the time going? Christmas was over in a flash, New Year is now in the distance, children back to school, and Easter Eggs are on the shelves (don’t get me started!)….. I remember when I was young my parents and grandparents saying ‘Doesn’t time fly!’ Well the scary thing is, I am now saying it – is this what happens when you turn 40??
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We were talking about a family get together in the future and I hear the boys saying ‘but that is such a long time away’ and I nod, knowing that when I was their age a week felt like a month, but now I blink and a fortnight disappears. How can I make things slow down, especially in this the shortest month of the year?
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I googled ‘time’ (what did we do before Google?) and I found some great quotes:
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– “Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”   H Jackson Brown Jr
– “Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.”   Henry Van Dyke
– “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.”   Harvey MacKay
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How many of you have nodded your head reading those quotes? Psalm 90 is allegedly the oldest psalm and the only one written by Moses and it’s a prayer to God asking for wisdom to make the most of his time on earth. Verse 12 says “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Moses knew the value of making the most of his time left on earth.
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A lecturer at college once asked a class I was in: Suppose every day there was deposited in your bank account the amount of £86,400. There is this catch to it, what you don’t use during the day, you lose. There is no forwarding balance carried to the next day. Each day you begin with £86,400. What would you do with it? Go on a spending spree every day?
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We are given 86,400 seconds each day. Once the day is up, it’s history. You can’t save it, it’s forever gone. It’s foolish to squander and waste £86,400, and it is much more foolish to squander and waste 86,400 seconds. Not everyone would agree. Many people would say, money is more important than time. Many would say wasting money is foolish, but wasting time doesn’t matter.
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When the twin towers were engulfed in flames on 11th September 2001, money was not a major issue, the stock market was not a major issue. The major issue was time. Time meant everything. Time to get out of the building. Time to rescue as many as possible. When many were trapped and death was inevitable, then time to use a cell phone to say final words to loved ones.
So remember Moses’ prayer – God, teach us to make the most of our time remaining. Give us a heart of wisdom to do the right thing.
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We all only have a certain amount of time, so let’s make the most of it. Realise the value of time. Today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present – remember it is the most precious gift you will ever be given. Don’t waste it.
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May you use the 28 days of this month wisely!
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Take care
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Amanda

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