May 25

Written by: tim
5/25/2010 1:58 PM 

I  had the chance to read through scripture today and found myself lingering in it's pages.  Being in the Word isn't foreign but I confess that I don't linger nearly as often as I should.  Not to be confused with loitering, which implies a purposeless presence, I believe that lingering is not practiced with the frequency that it used to be and perhaps we are missing out more than we realize. 

Who has time to linger?

Certainly no productive person has time to let their morning cup of tea (or coffee) turn into two.  Can supper really be the only thing on the schedule for the evening because it lasts 2 hours and there isn't time for anything else?  Never!  Many times supper constitutes the start of 2 or 3 things left in our day and is done in 15 minutes.  Our family has wonderful activities throughout the week but at times they dictate supper be consumed rather than enjoyed.  If I paid my daughter a quarter everytime I told her, "Stop playing with your food and just eat!"  She'd be wealthy and I'd be broke.  These things that fill our day are good and I don't regret them being a part of our family experience.  What I do desire is to periodically have the opportunity to slow down and linger over a meal, or a walk, or over a good cup of something-or-other.

Lingering is becoming a rare art form and yet I wonder how many snide remarks or one fingered salutes might be eliminated if we were more apt to enjoy the moment instead of rushing out to create another one.  How much richer is our time with the Lord when we pause and rest in His presence before hitting the prayer list?  How much stronger might our marriages and families become simply through celebrating time with each other?

Our world has sped up enough that the only way we will experience lingering is by choosing it.  We must carve out portions of our day or week to slow things down or demands will devour our time.

"Lord, help us to enjoy every moment you have provided!"