Time is a Gift

We view time as a major inconvenience.

"Not enough hours in the day..." we mumble, while dishes pile up and laundry goes unfolded.

Or, "Let's get this over with" is another favorite.

Time is something to be endured, like a big waiting room that smells of burnt coffee and the diaper in the trash.

But is that really how God intended for it to be?

Time is a gift.  Time is precious.

It is what takes a wrinkly newborn and turns him into a 5-year-old who can walk into any room with confidence and whose "L's" and "R's" suddenly start sounding much too grown up.

Time is what makes the mother look twice as she observes her toddler's face has lost its baby-like chubbiness, and has been replaced with slimmer cheek and a mouth that forms real words with precision.

Although I am not there yet in the story that is parenthood, I know that time is the same thing that will allow these sweet boys to grow up and leave their childhood home behind.

So for now, I will be thankful for the time I have with them.  It is a precious, precious gift.