What is one “thing” that we can never get enough of?  That slips through our fingers; moves too fast looking back and never fast enough looking forward.  Time.  J.R.R. Tolkien, through the voice of his character Gandalph the Grey says “all we have to decide is what to do with the time given us.” In this idea, Tolkien hits upon an important chord.  Time is not ours, it is a gift, given to each one of us, and as a given resource, it is our responsibility to use it wisely.  Let’s consider what that could mean, as we reflect upon the past gifts of the years behind us.

The beautiful thing about gifts is that when we receive them, we have to stop and unwrap them in order to see them and then use them.  The gift of time is no different.

As we turn the chapter on 2017 and open the gifts given to us by our friends and loved ones, do the same with the gift of time; stop and open the gift you have been given.  Take a few moments to think back over the year; how did you use the time?  What would you do different?  What were the special moments, and what were the hard ones?  What did you learn from these moments?

As you unwrap the gift of time, think also about how you will use the gift being given to you.  How will you invest your time?  How will you manage time so that you can make the most of the gift you have been given?

This time of year can feel over-full, busy and demanding of “our” time.  I encourage you, however, to unwrap the gift of time, just as you take a moment to unwrap the gifts under your tree.  Take one of the days between Christmas and the New Year to stop and take stock of where you have been, what has been done, and pray over how to steward the gift of time that lies ahead. The gift of time is solid gold, and the proper investment of it always shows a payoff–in relationships, work, and play.