Thursday, December 8, 2011

Joy in Service: Day 8 Your Time is a Gift

I'm busy. It can be overwhelming. I hear people talk about television shows I've never heard of and wonder what it would be like to have time to sit and do nothing but watch an hour of TV. I'm tired too.
Signature: half time by Lyric Montgomery Kinard
I was at a rehearsal last night and it was getting later and later and they were playing through some numbers that didn't have horn parts but we had to wait around because the very last number had horns. Did I mention that I was tired? I found myself thinking tired and grumpy and irritated thoughts.
Then I thought - my time is my gift.
And I sat and enjoyed the music for a few minutes.
I was grateful for its beauty and so many people who were working so hard to produce it.
It was a shift in attitude that made all the difference.

It takes time to truly listen to a child or a client. It takes time to go out of your way and deliver a package or a meal. It takes time to create something beautiful for someone. The time you are taking to make the world a better place reminds me that my time, the most precious thing I own right now, is a gift.

Please tell me what you did today to make the world a better place.
You inspire me to be a better person.

3 comments:

ringadal said...

Hi,
I have enjoyed reading this series. I have been a teacher and in a way I still am. I give 1 to 2 days a week teaching engineering and science in my children's school through an organization called Easiee as Pi (engineering and science in elem. education). It is time well spent.

Then, I unwittingly gave my time and sleep when we kept a stray 5 week old puppy that we found on a road. I have been up taking the pup out at all hours of the night, but what a fun gift for Christmas!!

Susan

Andria said...

What a beautiful post, and so "timely" (haha) for the holiday season. It is amazing how a quick shift in thinking and perspective can immediately put your mind and body at ease from a highly irritated state. In terms of how I made the world better today...well, I have done my best to continue raising my two little girls (ages 2 and 4) to be good and loving citizens of this world...and I mailed a bunch of Christmas presents to my family around the country! :-)

M-R Charbonneau said...

I love these posts, Lyric. Thank you for doing them. Today, I'm proud to say that I finished two charity quilts. I hope they will make some children's holidays a little brighter this year.