Have you ever missed an appointment because you were late or have you been late for church? All of us at one time or another have been late for an appointment. Often, when we're late, we're too late. Missed doctor appointments have to be re-made, and if we don't pay our light bill or water bill on time, we must pay a penalty. If we miss the payment altogether, our lights and water will be turned off.

 

Have you gone to the store only to be five minutes late, and the store has closed?

 

I once knew a man who was always on time for everything. He would often say, "I'd rather be one hour early than be one minute late."

 

There are times when you can make amends for being late, such as re-scheduling appointments. However, once you die, it is too late to do anything. I'm sure there are many people who die that wished they had done things differently or had taken the time to do one more thing, such as tell someone they loved them. But when death comes, it's too late.

 

It's all about time and how we use it, and doing what is important. Our lives have become so busy doing nothing that often we leave important things undone, such as spending time with our children and doing things as a family. No doubt many fathers regret they never took time out from work to attend a son's ballgame or a daughter's dance recital. Perhaps, there was someone we should have visited more or sent a card. But, we just didn't take time to do it, and then it became too late.

 

I read this story about a pickle jar. First, it was empty. The person with the jar was asked to place some large rocks in it, as many as he could good get into it. He thought it was full until he was asked to put some pebbles in it. He put all the pebbles he could into the jar, and announced that it was full. Then he was asked to put some sand into it. That he did. Again, he thought the jar was full. He was then told to add water.

 

Each of us has many large priorities in our life, represented by the large rocks. We also have things which we enjoy doing, such as the pebbles. We have other things we have to do, like the sand. And finally, we have things that simply clutter up our lives: the water.

 

None of these are bad things, it's just that often the little things get squeezed out by the big things. Our day gets filled with many little things, errands, grocery shopping, watching a football game or race on television, etc. We put things off, hoping that tomorrow we'll have more time.

 

I know that time is passing me by, because I watch the numbers change on my watch. I also know time is passing me by, by the change in seasons. Spring, summer and autumn have passed me by. I'm now in the winter years of my life. As we get older, time doesn't really mean a lot. It's when we're young that we make plans as to what we're going to work at for a living, who we are going to marry, how many children do we want, what kind of car will we buy, whether to build a house or buy a home.

 

I had never really thought much about time. Many people run their lives by time, and never stop to see what a life they are missing. Time can be the enemy when the alarm wakes a person from blissful sleep in the morning. Time is a friend when anxious students stare at the clock counting the seconds before the end of the school day, or the busy worker who desires to be anywhere but where he or she is.

 

Time cannot really be defined. It can only be spent or looked forward to or even remembered fondly. Time is very important to people, but once it is used, it can never be taken back.

 

We live and work and play and sleep in the now and only note the passage of time by what changes along the way. It is true that as we get older, time seems to go faster. Someone has said, "Yes, time flies. And where did it leave you? Old too soon...smart too late?"

 

Have you noted that we get exact about time at the end of time and at its beginning. He died at 6:08 or 3:45, we say, or the baby was born at 4:02. But in between we live through weeks, months, years, and give little thought to it.

 

The world has become a demanding place. Perhaps it always has and those demands have changed over the years. I think each of us if we could live our lives over would take time to smell more roses, to enjoy the little things in life that make us smile, such as chatting with an old friend, smiling at a child, reading a few lines from a good book, or taking a vacation. The point is your roses could be anything. Stop and take time to admire your loved ones.

 

We've still time to smell the roses...don't wait until it's too late because time stands still for no one.

 

Henry David Thoreau, the poet, wrote: "Time is but a stream I go a-fishing in. I drink at it; but while I drink I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains."

 

This life is only temporary; it's the next one that lasts forever. If we thanked God for the good things, we wouldn't have time to complain about the bad.