The Time That Is Yet Thine…

We are, all of us, a reflection of what we do with time, of what we want⎯or at least what we want enough to be willing to work for.

This, said William Penn⎯”this is . . . said, that it might quicken, Thee, . . . to lose none of the Time that is yet thine . . . since without it we can do nothing in this World . . . [and] God will certainly most strictly reckon with us, when Time shall be no more . . .”

“A purposeless life,” said another source, “is a life of fatigue. We all know from personal experience how tired we become while doing nothing, but once let us find an outlet for our energies, some object upon which to expand them, and our instinctive powers awake us to life . . .None is so healthy and fresh as he who gives freely of his strength, and thereby liberates his impulses and instinctive powers into quickened activity.”

Often we have heard cited the scripture which says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” As he thinketh not only so is he, but so does he⎯or is likely to do.

There is no mysterious formula for what man makes of his days on earth. Michelangelo said, “If people knew how hard I have had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem wonderful at all.” So it is: In others we see the finished product, but we don’t always see the process: the practice, the learning, the long labor, the giving up of other things, the arduous and seemingly almost endless endeavor.

To arrive at what we really want⎯or at what is really worth wanting⎯we must deeply desire, a desire that includes a dedicated pursuit of purpose, and not just a “wish it were.” Wherever or whatever we want to be, we ought to be on our way for time will go, and all there is of it is ours.