Every morning I like to be out of bed between 7-7:15 am, regardless of what I have going on. I try to schedule appointments between 8 and 8:30 so that I can always have solid time to prepare myself for the day.

This morning I was ultra tired, and at 8:30 am I was still in bed. Awake, but in bed. Then I remembered, sadly, that I was out of coffee. As if I needed more reasons to stay in bed. After 30 minutes of pep talking, I got myself out of bed and was in my car driving to Pines to get coffee.

AND THEN IT HIT ME. LIKE A TON OF BRICKS. MAYBE TEN TONS OF THEM.

Yeah, it was 9 am. I’d probably get back at 9:30. But that was TWO HOURS before I needed to leave for work. TWO HOURS IS A LOT OF TIME, IF IT’S SPENT WELL.

This is what hit me.

God gave me time.
He didn’t give me to time.

I don’t belong to time. God didn’t create time and say to the Hour, “here is Stephanie…. do with her what you will.” He created me and gave ME the hour and said “Stephanie, be responsible with this.”

As I got the coffee, I was thinking about the things that needed my hour(s) the most .What were things I WANTED or NEEDED to do that I could reasonably do within two hours? I made a small list.

• Breakfast
• Coffee
• Pick up the clothes off my floor and put them away
• Write letters to Claire and Chanelle
• Do a load of laundry

So I got home, and guess what I did. As the coffee was brewing, I threw in a load of laundry and put my clothes away. I made my bed, since I was there, and then I made myself oatmeal. I spread out the things I need to write letters to my friends, and then I started writing.

I was one paragraph into my letter to Chan when I thought.. you know I bet there are a lot of people who are wasting away hours and minutes and moments and I decided to share what I was convicted of this morning.

God gave you time. He didn’t give you to time.

Take advantage of every single minute you have. Cherish it like the gift that it is, and get stuff done. Don’t neglect important things for stupid things like pinning unrealistic expectations on Pinterest, or  having to wear one more dirty shirt because you’d rather spend time scrolling through your Facebook newsfeed and hating people that you don’t actually mind in real life.

Time is God’s gift to you. You are not God’s gift to time.

I’m out.

ps: “God Gave Me You” came on right as soon as I finished typing that last sentence.

ps again: I put bananas, coconut flakes & cinnamon on my oatmeal and it was the best.