If I Could Save Time in a Bottle

Time. It has been on my mind. Right now in total honesty I have to admit this; I am not generous with my time. Work and obligations take up too much of the day and week. Weekends many times are the days I use to recoup energy just to give back to my time thieves, work and obligations. It is getting totally out of control.

One example, if my neighbors blog about their neighbors, I might be referred to as the crazy cat lady. We only have one cat, but that one cat wants to run the hallways. My job becomes cat herder to get her back inside of home. So, I come home and the norm can be, I have to wee wee like a wild woman and only have precious seconds to get inside and take care of that situation. My plan, scare Buddy so much she won't have the guts to run much less venture into the hallway. Here is an interesting fact, cat paws are so sensitive they can feel your footsteps from a long distance. So, I begin stomping my feet, walking really hard and making all kinds of weird noises with my voice as I traverse our hallway. I imagine I am not only scaring Buddy, but all my neighbors. If this ploy hasn't done the trick, I resort to throwing my purse or the mail inside the door to keep Buddy at bay. That tactic doesn't even work anymore and walking through slippery catalogues only adds time to my few seconds clearance of making it to the facilities on time. In the true Olympic spirit, I am trying to take 8/10 of a second off my record time.

My days right now are time sensitive and time intensive. Three major deadlines for pieces to be in the mail and in the homes of church members and prospects consume me right now. First one is in the mail, second piece is getting ready to leave the church and to the printers tomorrow morning. My last piece should be out by Thursday. Meanwhile I am doing everything else that comes across my desk. Yesterday was not only a full day, but a very stress filled day. In turn, I come home whipped and wiped out. Roy had told me it would be a late night at the office for him, so I looked forward to the time alone. Only this, Roy came home much earlier than anticipated. That is great! He changed clothes to walk at the CLC track and just before he kissed me goodbye, he woke up Buddy and brought her to me. WHAT THE HECK????? My plan of reading a few chapters of Off Season flew right out the window. I spent the next 45 minutes chasing Buddy off the table and off all the other places she KNOWS she shouldn't be. We employ the water gun punishment. By the time Roy got home, the cat is soaked, the furniture is soaked, the carpet soaked...everything was wet from all the water being blasted at the blasted cat. Only two minutes before Roy arrived, she settled into one spot. My plan of chapters has now become pages. I read two whole pages in 45 minutes! Roy, sweet precious Roy, precious treasure of my heart Roy, walks into our bedroom where Buddy and I have finally settled and says, "I knew Buddy would keep you company and give you some quiet moments of reading." I looked at him like, are you totally bonkers???? Why did you move the cat before leaving??? Do I look calm, relaxed? I asked him if he would go through our home and wipe off any water on the tables before it left water marks. Time...gone...

It also seems like I am giving a lot of time to keeping a zoo keeper or would it be a lion tamer away from squishing me into the box that in their mind and estimation I should gladly be in.

I don't know if you have someone like this in your life, but if so, you know they are time drainers. Like wild animals I am constantly on the run not to be caught only to be caged or tamed into the person they think I should be. My keeper thinks I should only be funny and perform at their behest. No one should know that there might even be a serious line much less a spiritual thought expressed out loud from me. Fortunately, right now they can't contain me in print. Now you might think me paranoid, but my tamer slips subtle hints to others that I might not ever be a good choice, unless you want funny. Sometimes funny doesn't even get the recommendation. My battle of running includes their constant obsession of comparison and contrast, how might they get the upper hand, do better than me. I delight for them to do better and have all the friends, stuff and wanna be junk they could ever desire to have and experience. Just leave me alone. My keeper has taken away a lot from me, mostly time and energy. When they are around, I cannot move, exist or show any natural gifting or spiritual gifts that the Lord has given. I've been trapped in a corner and they are just waiting for me to go into the box of their choosing in order to control and understand me. Ha, I might be stuffed in a corner, but so far success is mine of escaping the box.

The Bible says I know the voice of my shepherd, I follow Him only. At least in recent times I have slowed down enough to hear His voice in the daily. Nothing they say to me or suggests to me sounds like the voice of love I know only to follow. A zoo keeper knows what to say to make the tapes play from long ago hurts and words. Their thought is for you to give in to that, but don't do it. Read Ephesians and know what Jesus has done for you and who you are in Him.

Many times a lion tamer wants you to be sad, ill or complacent. There is control in being the benevolent benefactor. Don't give in. They'll tempt with rewards that aren't truth or don't last. I will say this, don't grow weary in doing them good. The Bible says, you'll reap a harvest. It isn't easy and the choice of making decisions in the flesh or letting God's strength uphold and encourage will be at times moment by moment, if not second by second decisions. Boils down to wanna be... Do I wanna be like Jesus or do I wanna be a lion tamer?

Time is not permitting me to give more thought and time to the thought of thought and time. Roy just called, he'll be home in a few minutes. I have to go help him make noise and keep Buddy away from the front door. Yep, we are the crazy cat people.