Make Time for Family and Close Ones

Had always wanted to write and had thought about it for church's magazine but never really got down to it.  Had written one article for vetting by the Vicare but never really brought it further than that. Now that this blogspot is created, this avenue is as good as any for my writing.

With my current condition and I guess for others with similar situation, our perspective in life changes especially with regards to those that is around us.

I remembered that when Josie and myself was attending our church's leadership course, our group had a discussion about friends and family and how we intend to reach out to them and about spending time with them. One of our group members, Theodore said something that was very interesting. He said: “If you don’t schedule your timetable, the devil will plan it for you.”

At the moment, I was thinking to myself… hey! That’s profound but you will have to understand the context of the discussion, and then you will realize why this statement is profound.

Our discussion centered around making time for our family and close friend and we all realize that we seldom make deliberate plan to spend time with family and friends and we don’t mean making plans for the annual family holiday or the occasional meet up to have drink (that I no longer am able to do and enjoy... :-( We ask ourselves, when was the last time that we deliberately planned ahead to meet up with friends on regular basis?

Now, the above statement is a generalization as we do know of people who will meet up regularly with friends but then the questions:

1.      How much time with friends?

2.      How much time with family?

3.      And the catch, how much time we spend at work?

I realize that on my part, I had not really spend QUALITY time with my family and with close friends and do not specifically plan ahead to do something with family and friends. Very often, if I do meet up with friends, it is usually done like “hey, I’m free tomorrow, can we meet? Oh, cannot ha… ok, we contact again next week to see how ok?” And next week never arrive.”

Have you checked you calendar, have you attempted to clear your calendar of unimportant activities so that you can spend time with family and friends? I tell you, under my current circumstances, I realized that very often I take my family and friends for granted.  It is during these times that you realize (stating it bluntly) how important your family is and who is your true friends.

Now back to what Theodore said. “If you don’t schedule your timetable, the devil will plan it for you.” Take a step back, plan your schedule deliberately to include time for family and friends and I mean QUALITY time, pray and ask God for wisdom and knowledge on how to plan, when, what, where.  If He can create universe, He can create the opportunities for you. If you don’t, the devil has a nasty way of coming in to cloud your life with one thing after another that will distract you from your family and friends.

Thus, I had resolve to try and spend as much quality time with Josie as much as possible and some close friends but Nathan came along mid last year and there was a huge adjustment but Josie was very understanding and never stop me from meeting close friends and occasionally have after-work drinks with some colleagues but under the conditon that I don't drive.

God is gracious. I have an extremely supportive wife and this really bring into the picture our marriage vow where we have to affirm by saying to each other: “In the Name of God, I, _____, take you, _____, to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death.  This is my solemn vow.”

Thus we are bound by our vows and in the Name of God.  Let’s make time for family and friends.

In God I Trust.