The Gift of Time: Stewardship in Another Light

More than money

When we hear the word stewardship, most of us think of money, especially giving to the

church, which has been our focus lately. But time and money are often called interchangeable, and this month I want to write about time.

This past weekend, a good friend of mine was killed in a car accident. It was a stark

reminder that each of us has a finite and unknown number of days on this earth. What we do with them matters, to ourselves, to the people around us, and to God.

The commandment with a promise

One way most of us will be asked to give our time is in caring for aging parents. It can take a great deal of time, energy, and money, and many of us avoid thinking about it until we have to. God speaks to it directly in the Fifth Commandment, as Deuteronomy 5:16 puts it:

"Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so

that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is

giving you."

Paul later notes in Ephesians 6:2 that this is the first commandment that comes with a

promise. Honoring our parents isn't only a duty. It's an invitation into blessing.

A lunch I'll never forget

My father died several years ago after a long, slow battle with Parkinson's. We didn't

always have the best relationship, but I had agreed to help him as best I could with his

finances and his health.

One day, after an appointment with his neurologist, we stopped for lunch at an Indian

buffet. Partway through the meal his shaking started, and he could no longer feed himself, so I fed him the rest. It left quite a mess on the table and floor.

When I went up to pay, the man at the register asked,

"Is that your father?"

"Yes," I said. "Sorry about the mess."

"Don't worry about it, we'll clean it up," he said. "God will bless you for what you are doing."

It felt like a lightning bolt went right through me, as if God Himself had just spoken.

Speechless, I managed an awkward "Uh, thank you," paid, and we left.

I have never forgotten those words. Caring for my father was a long, difficult road, but that one moment told me God saw it. He saw the time, the effort, and the faithfulness, even on the days when no one else did. I'm convinced that faithfulness is part of why my life has been so richly blessed since.

Spend it well

It's easy to believe our time is too valuable to give away, especially to the slow, unglamorous work of caring for a parent. But time given in love is never wasted. God sees it, and He honors it.

And none of us knows how much time we have. My friend didn't. Our parents don't. We

don't either.

So here's my invitation this week: give some of your time away. Make the phone call.

Schedule the visit. Sit at the table, even if it gets a little messy. It may be the most valuable thing you spend all week.