Time. Don't waste it.

There's an Australian band from the 80s called Men at Work. Their lead singer, Colin Hay, had a solo career afterward.

He has a song I love called Waiting for My Real Life to Begin.

The title of it should tell you a lot.

I mention all of that because I've started this post a few different times, but when that song came on today, it filled in the missing pieces of what I had been trying to say in this.

I was asked a few questions a month or so ago. Both questions were purposeful and built for thought, even if the person asking didn't realize it. Or maybe he did, and he was testing me.

One of the homeless youths that I work with asked these questions. This post will cover one of the questions. There will be others covering the remaining two questions he asked.

The question I'll be covering in this post is, what means most to me in life? He stated I couldn't answer things as I usually would with my faith, family, friends, work, and the like.

Even with that, the answer was easy to find.

Time.

Hence the song.

How often are we witness to people waiting for life? If it's anything like what I see, it's pretty often.

I lived a portion of my life like that. In my experience, I don't know of anyone that has figured out how to live a life where we take advantage of all the gifts that time gives us, so nobody hasn't lived a portion of their life like this.

Sure, some are doing great at making the most of time now, but it wasn't always that way.

When we're broke, tired, defeated, or any of the other situations we can think of, we all spend time in that place where we aren't making the most of time. We're watching time slip away. We're waiting for our real life to begin.

Time is essential, though. It's finite, and anything that comes to an end makes us look at it differently.

When we're young, we tend to think that we have all the time in the world, so why not waste some?

Then life happens. Be it age, experience, or myriad other things, we start to see that we don't have all the time in the world. That doesn't stop us from wasting the gift that it is, though.

We can't wait forever. Even though many of us spend a great deal of time doing just that. The sad reality is that we usually realize that too late.

Think about instances when you didn't waste time or the times when you yearned for more.

Chasing a dream.

Learning what you were passionate about.

Taking that opportunity you didn't expect and putting everything into it.

All of those showed how to not waste time.

That time you were spending with someone, and you were trying to slow time down so the moment wouldn't end.

That moment where you felt peace and love in such a way you knew it could only come from God. How you wanted that moment and feeling to last forever.

Remembering someone you lost. Wishing you could just have one more day with them.

All those shows when we wish we had more time.

For me, one of the many brilliant parts of God's plan for us is that we are on this earth for a limited time. Unfortunately, some are much shorter than others.

Knowing that our time will come to an end should give us all the motivation we need to not let time slip away from us. That doesn't always happen. Sometimes we need a little external inspiration.

Maybe this can be that for some of you. I know it'll be a reminder for me in times when I need it.

I ask people who say they have time to waste is, what would you do if you knew you only had a month left to live?

Many of the answers are the same: spend time with family and friends, take a trip, quit their jobs, do things that genuinely make them happy.

Those are all valid things. So, why do we have to wait until we know we're going to die to think that way?

Disclaimer: I'm not saying to quit your job. Though if it's causing you misery, then look at your options. Now back to what I was saying.

I'm not innocent in this. I had spinal surgery 2 months ago today. It was a very complicated, high-risk surgery. It also wasn't optional if I wanted to continue to have a chance to live life as I have been and, more importantly, how I want to.

It was 6 weeks between tests, talking to the surgeon, and having the surgery. In those 6 weeks, I spent more time with family and friends, wrote more, worked and made plans for work if something should happen, watched the sun rise and set each day, prayed more, and read God's word more.

I wrote letters for everyone in my life if something should happen. One of the things in each of those letters was to not waste the time they had left.

Obviously, I survived the surgery.

Two months later, I'm doing my best to hold onto those things I did at that time. I'm not succeeding at everything, but I'm doing my best. There are things I could do better.

That's why I say I'm not innocent in this.

The key that I found is identifying those things, making sure they're a priority, and that the time I have is spent on those.

Equally as important is identifying the things I shouldn't spend my time on and ensuring I don't spend my time and energy on those things.

Also, ensuring that you can be flexible is important. There will be things that become permanent items that become a priority. There will be things that become a temporary priority.

A new relationship is an example of a thing that becomes a permanent priority.

A course on Self Worth by Trent Shelton I'm taking is an example of a temporary priority. No, I'm not saying that what I learn in that course is a temporary priority, just the time it takes to complete the course.

Spend time on those things that enhance your life. That brings you closer to the ones you love, brings you closer to God. Don't wait for your dreams to come to you. Go after them. Spend time on those things that make you happy.

Don't spend your time on all the negative things thrown at us daily. Work through negative things in your life so you can get to that better place, but don't get lost there.

If it makes you sad or angry, is it worth your time? If it is pulling you further from those you love, pulling you further from God, and damaging the other positive things in your life, you shouldn't be giving your time to it.

As I said, we're here for a finite amount of time. Don't spend that time in places that aren't making your life better.

All of that reminds me of John 9:4. As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

God wants us all in the best place possible. Work on spending your time on those things God put here for you.

Night is coming, don't wait until then to figure out what you should have spent your time on.