Tempus Fugit – Time Flies

I remember when Jimmy on the Mickey Mouse Club presented a talk on the subject of Time.  There was a clock, and you could hear it ticking the seconds away. His message was clear, time will never come back to us.  Mel Brooks has a bit where he says; “Have a good time, because no one wants a bad time.”  And Jim Croce sang a song titled “Time in a Bottle.” Naturally, we can’t save time the way we can food.  Yet, a salesmen will tell you “This baby will save you time…”  Perhaps. But no matter what, we are going to use time.  Unfortunately, eventually our time runs out.  Some believe in eternity, but in essence, we will no longer exist in this mortal coil.  And there is nothing we can do about it.

I had a friend who recalled a story from when his father was dying. His father called his son over to his bed, where he lay in the dark and said “I’ve been doing some thinking.  You know, everything I have done, or enjoyed is soon going to pass on…”  My friend just let the thought drop recalling it was the last conversation he had with his father.

I hope to use my time for edifying others. This morning on the CBS Morning Show, there was a story about a man who had ALS, a fatal disease. It robs you of mobility, speech, and eventually the ability to breathe. This guy was in a wheelchair, and said that he wanted to make people happy. He bought doughnuts for youngsters, and interviewed others  with the same disease. He wanted to use his time to help others.

I remember just before I got married, a woman came to the Pastor who was to marry Carol and I. The woman was in his office for a long time. I heard her sob behind the door. When she left, I asked the Pastor what her problem was.  He said she had been told she was terminal, and had a very short time to live. I still hear her heels clicking down the hall as she left.

I studied for the ministry, and I had a small congregation. The Elders came to me, and said: “Brother, one of the congregation has cancer and will not be with us much longer, will you preach at his funeral?” I replied “If I am here”, which I wasn’t. I could not face a man who knew his life was coming to an end.

When my father died, I was more prepared, and when my mother died, she had Alzheimer’s Disease, I looked upon this as a release. Now I am at the age where friends I grew up with are dying.  And I wish time could be saved in a bottle.