Rather than the normal opening letter, I have decided to introduce you to an exercise to add to your Lenten Journey, and hopefully to use afterwards as well. It’s an exercise about time and being attentive to how we spend it.
Every once in a while, something happens that reminds me that time may be the final commodity of exchange in human life. We often think of money being the primary commodity in the modern world, but that still is largely about time. We earn money in exchange for time: time doing the work and time we spend training in our respective fields in order to qualify for the work and to do it well. Whatever money one may possess has come from some measure of time having been spent in exchange.
Likewise, we use money to buy one another’s time. I pay for my food because I don’t have time to learn how to raise and process my own, let alone to do it. No one person has time to learn how to be a plumber, an electrician, a teacher, a nurse, a doctor, a dentist, a lawyer, etc. Instead we pay others. who have spent time learning various trades, so that they will give their time to practicing those trades in our behalf. We exchange time for money and pay money for time. Ultimately, we are exchanging time for time. In this season of Lent, I invite you to spend some time thinking about where and how you spend your time.
At the end of a day…like, today… list your time in 30 minute increments from the time you woke until the time you go to bed at night. Not enough time to do that? Ok, let’s stop at noon. Not enough to start the list? That’s ok, I made one on the next page! Sorry, I have no idea what time you wake up. Adjust the hours to fit your day.
Be as detailed as you can. Include everything you can remember spending time doing. Don’t be shy about writing “spaced out”, “daydreaming”, or” worrying” if you spent time doing that. When you have finished your list, go to bed! The next day, look at yesterday’s list and spend some time reflecting on the questions listed below the chart.
I suppose you’re expecting me to suggest what you SHOULD be doing with your time, but no. I think I can trust you with that part. For now, I hope you will give this exercise a try and maybe try tracking a whole day on occasion. I would love to hear about your experience with this exercise and about and ideas or questions it inspires in you.
Blessings,
Pastor Joe