Time, how one measures it – By Bill Wagner
For those of us in the US so much of our lives revolves around our “5-day work week comprised of 8-hour days, give or take”.
We measure time this way, but we also measure it by what is accomplished in that time-period. It’s not uncommon for example at the end of a given day or week to not be able to recall anything of any real significance that was accomplished. How is that possible? I won’t offer my conclusions as to how however, I will tell you I’ve always tried to avoid this by being mindful of at least three things I accomplished each day, sometimes one or more may seem trivial but that isn’t the point. So here I am in Guatemala, one of seven days in country, what will I accomplish? Will I be able to look back at today and say “wow, something significant was accomplished?”
It just so happens on this day something, many things in fact were and nothing was done by me alone. The day started with the team meeting the family for whom a home would be built. A family who very much needed a home to be built but more importantly needed to see the reality of hope restored. The home gave the mom of six something she could have never achieved on her own. It was something that the kids would never have likely seen in their lifetime, not in the form it was provided at least. So, the home represented some restoration of hope. However, it was clear in the interaction with her and her “husband” and kids that hope was being restored because of the desire for us as team in the name of Jesus to offer that which they couldn’t attain otherwise. “husband” is in parentheses because he had been far than the textbook definition of a husband, nevertheless he was present on this day. As time passed, the home was built, relationships were formed, love and kindness on display and the caring heart of God was felt. What a joy to know that it’s still possible to look back at a workday and feel something of significance accomplished. This day might have been the most significant for me for the next year.
Bill Wagner