3rd Sunday of Eastertide: Giving of Our Time

Our theme for Eastertide is finding joy as we faithfully do the small things, so today we will look at giving of our time. 

Time has been described as the great equalizer. The rich have 24 hours in a day. The poor have 24 hours in a day. 

Even though we all have the same number of minutes to spend each day (1,440), different seasons of life can have more or fewer commitments, resulting in a "higher" or "lower" cost to the time we spend with a person. Choosing to spend time with someone, in the midst of a busy season, shows that they are being prioritized. It is still a meaningful gift in the midst of a calm season, even though it probably takes less intentionality to arrange a gathering. 

It is nice to experience an extravagant gift of time, where someone spends all day investing in you and cherishing you, but the small daily expenditure of time requires us to follow the spiritual disciplines of Submission, Simplicity, and Service. 

Submission

I know. Submission can be a dirty word in some circles, but it is a biblical word. When we submit to someone else, we are putting our preferences and our "rights" under theirs. This should be done in a mutually beneficial and healthy (and even reciprocal as the "one another" verses of the Bible challenge us) way. When we give of our time, we are sacrificing our plans for how we could have used that time. Instead of doing what we THINK someone would like us to do, I challenge us to ASK them what they would like to do and then DO THAT THING. When we submit our time in this way, those around us can feel cherished and loved. We blend submission and time, when we submit to a person's restaurant preference as we share a meal with them.

Simplicity

There are simple ways to do things and complex ways to do things. I relearned this lesson on Resurrection Sunday. As our season of Lent was drawing to a close, I was wondering what the feasting of Easter would look like. Naturally, I wanted a fruit, vegetable, grain, protein, and dairy for each meal. Naturally, I wanted special foods that we haven't had in a while. I made my idealized menu and then realized that I would have to spend most of Easter in the kitchen cooking all of those delicious foods (and then cleaning up after myself). So we simplified things. Instead of mashed potatoes AND cheesy potatoes (because the two people of our household naturally wanted two different forms of potatoes), we opted for a fruit and veggie tray. Instead of an elaborate main dish, we cooked hot dogs over the campfire. 

When we choose to live simply, we have more time to spend with those around us. From time to time, it can be fun to have a kitchen adventure where we make fettuccini alfredo from scratch, but as a general rule, simple, wholesome meals give us more time to invest in other things, like loving those near us. Having simpler cleaning, cooking, and shopping routines will free up time from these activities to redistribute to our priorities. We blend simplicity and time, when we choose to have simpler meals, so we can have longer visits around the table. 

Service

Service draws on submission, even as we spend our time on this gift. When we serve, it is important that we submit to the needs and desires of the ones we are serving. Otherwise, we run the risk of making things more difficult for them instead of being of assistance to them. It takes time to do an act of service, whether it involves making something or doing a task to help someone. Service doesn't have to be elaborate or complex. We can help someone carry in groceries or refill the empty water pitcher, even if we weren't the ones to empty it. The simple day-to-day tasks can weigh on a person, especially if they are primarily responsible for doing the dishes, laundry, or any other chore that is only completed until the next dish is used or clothing is worn. As a result, serving someone by taking on these tasks is a gift of our time. 

I would be negligent if I didn't mention Self-Care along with the Submission, Simplicity, and Service. We cannot keep giving of our time to others if we do not take care of ourselves. It is not selfish. It is not unimportant. We, as humans, need consistent time with God in order to have the energy, compassion, and desire to serve others. Likewise, taking time for self-care will allow us to refill our energy levels to be able to give of our time to others. Invest in a hobby that is enjoyable. After achieving a priority for the day, take time to rest or delight in something, even if it is just a cup of tea. Allowing others to give of their time to help us is just as valid and valuable as giving of our time to help them. Far too often, we let pride keep us from asking for help when we are overwhelmed. Let us be willing to both give and receive help as we work to prevent burnout and exhaustion.

I challenge us to prayerfully consider how we can blend these three spiritual disciplines into our gifts of time. If this is a busy season for you, I encourage you to consider what simple service we can submit to, without staying up too late. Look for ways to simplify and cut down, in order to have more time to invest in those around you. If this is a calm season for you, I encourage you to consider how God is calling you to spend your time. After blocking out sleep and work, and adding in MARGINS between events, how are you being called to spend your time? Is there a place you've been meaning to volunteer at? Is there a task on a loved one's to do list that you can tackle? 

We all have 1,440 minutes each day. How can we spend them as gifts others?