We have enough time

One hundred years the mill has stood:

One hundred years the dashing flood - J.R.Eastwood

In our everyday life, things move very quickly. News travels fast. Technology allows us to communicate in an instant. People can travel around the world in 24hrs. 

It can be overwhelming. The speed at which our information moves makes us think that time is short. Life is fleeting. The great poets say.

But is it? 

Is time moving quickly? Or have we allowed ourselves to be overcome by the speed of technology?

In my journey to work through anxiety, I have found that time was the ever daunting master. Part of my fear and worry came from the fact that it felt there was never enough time to do all the things that life required. I often would feel this sense of dread each morning that I would wake up. I would often ask, “How can I get this all done?”

Can I let you in on a little secret?

There is enough time. 

I don’t remember the exact moment when I started to tell myself this statement. But this four word sentence has changed my life in very significant ways.

Part of understanding the truth of this sentence comes from realizing that if you trust an all powerful God, he is the master over time. If this all powerful God is loving and kind toward you, he will give you enough time to do the things you need to do. 

There is enough time.

You may ask, “How does this work out? Aren’t you living in a fantasy world?”

Living in the truth of this phrase means letting go of being late or on time. To use the words of Gandalf, you will arrive precisely when you intend to. This means writing out a schedule and planning for things in your life, but giving grace for when they don’t happen. Plans change, people cancel or get sick. 

In understanding that there is enough time, means that you don’t have to hold onto those moments with an iron grip. You can accept that your value is not found in timeliness or in all the activities you accomplished.

There is enough time. 

It allows you the space to rest, to be, to enjoy, and to work. 

Maybe this is a phrase that is useful for Type A personalities, perfectionists, or those with anxieties around performance. 

Yes, we need to work hard and be active in our lives. But understanding that there is enough time allows for mistakes, it allows for side quests and rabbit trails. 

I often find myself relishing in the little things, the simple things. Why?

Because there is enough time to get things done. There is plenty of time to achieve our goals.

And even if we didn’t get all that we wanted finished, there is enough time to enjoy what was accomplished. 

It may seem foolish. It may seem like day dreaming. But I would encourage you to try to life out a week where you give yourself enough time. Try to embrace this notion of “enough time” and see how you feel at the end of your experiment. 

You may be surprised to find that not only did you get everything finished, you enjoyed all the moments in between and there was plenty of time for you to live.