The Writer’s Heart: Time

The Writer’s Heart: Time

We have heard it said, the older we get the faster time slips by. Truth is, time is time and moves at the constant pace God ordained it to travel. I’ve concluded, if time hasn’t sped up, then I must be moving slower and find it harder to keep up. Whichever the case, our time on this earth is brief—even if we live to be as old as Methuselah who lived nine hundred sixty-nine years. In light of eternity that is fleeting.

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:

because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it:

surely the people is grass.”

Isaiah 40:7,KJV

The short definition of time found in my Open Study Bible is, “the period between two eternities.” One person pointed out time is the dash on a tombstone—the period between birth and death we call life.

In light of the brevity of life we are instructed to live—

“Redeeming the time,

because the days are evil.

Wherefore be not unwise,

but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”

Ephesians 5:16,17, KJV

One major complaint among writers and authors is, “I don’t have time.” No matter when we carve out a plan in our busy schedules to write, the result is the same—interruptions, loss of focus, too much waiting to be done, and feel free to add your own reasons.

We actually believe a lie when we feed our minds those thoughts. There are twenty-four hours in a day, and we choose how we want to spend it, even when the unexpected happens. Yesterday evening I spent close to two hours watching a show that wasn’t profitable. I could have been writing. How do we overcome wasting precious time?

• Learn discipline—I’m preaching to myself here.
• Set our priorities(What can we say, “no” to in order to say, “yes” to writing.)
• Decide how we handle and lessen interruptions based on our priorities.
• Recognize when to lay down writing and when to pick it up.
• Learn to make time a friend and not an enemy.
• Seize the opportunities before you.

Add your own helps to my short list and share them with us. Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, says,

“To every thing there is a season,

and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted …”

Adding to his list of times, there is a time to write and a time lay it down—but don’t lay it down too long—when time is gone, it’s gone. What is your  biggest hindrance to actual writing?

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This week writing takes a back seat to our Day Camp for children. Please, be understanding if I don’t answer your comments or visit your blogs in a timely manner. Thank you.