Chuck Bridges Blog

Is anyone else out there amazed by how quickly “TIME” (that which is “Elusive”) passes by??? I have a cycle thing going on right now where it seems that my weeks begin on Wednesday. I go to bed on Sunday night, and the next thing I know it is Wednesday morning. While this “cyclical” pattern is influenced by my responsibility to teach on Wednesdays (in addition to Sundays) it caused me to stop, meditate, reflect and journal this morning on just how “ELUSIVE” this thing called “TIME” really is!

In the early 70’s (that’s 1970’s for those who are young) — when real music was being published and performed — the Steve Miller Band presented a song called “Fly Like An Eagle.” In the song there is a line that says: “time keeps on slipping into the future.” While this is basically an unprofound statement that any cynic would respond to by saying, “DUH!” it is however a very important ‘reality’ to keep in the front of our mind. Primarily because we do not have the option of going back and doing over any part of our life — good or bad! We cannot redo what we wish had never been done and we cannot relive or recreate the wonderful experiences of our past.

Basically, LIFE must be lived in the “ELUSIVE” PRESENT! Woops, just lost another second…minute…you get the picture. So, what is it that you have been waiting to get busy with or to accomplish or to clean out, etc.??? If you have not started yet then it is certain that you are not “maximizing” your present! Did you know that there is a physiological influence on those of us who have that something lingering in our minds that we know we will do some day? That’s right, it is called STRESS! It can be appeased for a while but it can only be eliminated by DOING…

I should also mention the sheer exhilaration and relief that accomplishment brings into our lives. It is amazing to experience the dynamics that suddenly appear when we START something that has been on our minds for some time. Once we start, a synergy takes over that relieves stress, stimulates creativity, produces enhancements for humanity, and ultimately gives us the greatest feeling of accomplishment when we sit down exhausted to gaze upon what we have done.

God created us to work. Everyone has unique qualities, abilities, talents, and passions to accomplish things. God has also given us a limited number of days to “git er done!” (sorry but I couldn’t resist that) Psalm 139:16 says: “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” So, even though time is “slipping, slipping, slipping into the future,” and even though it can be quite “ELUSIVE,” there is a way to catch it and maximize what it offers. How? Get started on that which has only existed within you! Don’t wait to do it tomorrow because you risk not living today. And, days without purpose and positive effort are seldom remembered or treasured. This makes time seem all too “ELUSIVE” and leaves us asking the question: “Where did all the time go?” One more thing: Start NOW because only God knows how many of those days are in His book beside our name!