Good Things Take Time

Brief. Something so fitting about that word. It is in it’s nature brief.

Definition of brief: Short in duration; concise; curt.

Honestly lately I have come to value brevity. I feel successful when a visit at work is within the short amount of time allotted to see an individual at clinic. I enjoy the times when my children require only short periods of my time to be entertained. I enjoy the succinct and brief sermon, or prayer. I praise God when the stop light is short.

Though, I am beginning to have moments of clarity in regards to this fondness for briefness. This clarity often comes after the fact, when reflecting on how great it felt to play 2 minutes of tag and then go back to my project, because well, “I was a good dad who invested time in his kids.” Or “I did great. I saw that patient in 10 minutes ordered labs and wrote their note and now I can see my next individual on time.” My reflection often is accompanied by guilt and ponderance, on why did I feel joy at the briefness to this, why don’t I spend a little extra time to invest in my kids, or why don’t I ask after that patient about their life a little more, what could it hurt? I then realize that I have shaped myself or been shaped (however you want to look at it) to be brief, so that I may accomplish more things or move on to something I want to do, and honestly it is selfish in nature.

Not sure that my aforementioned fondness is good. So, I’ll be brief. I want to conclude with a challenge, provocation, summons to contest, or whatever you want to call it to you the reader, as I also will be challenging myself. Let us not be brief with our time with God, or those we love. It is clear in the Gospel that Christ was an investor in people, and took time to sit and listen and love. In this era of succinctness, rapid response, 15 minutes or less, let’s remember that often good things take time, and time is valuable which is why we as Christians should be ok with giving it away.

Blessings with your walk,

Annan Sheffield