This blog topic just came into my head yesterday. I don’t fully know where it came from but came it did. So being obedient to God’s leaning, I sat down to write, so let’s see how it goes.

Thinking back, several things happened which subliminally could have triggered the genesis of this blog. For instance, I was speaking to a colleague on work, and he mentioned that this week he was in a conversation with a fellow co-worker about financial management, and more specifically retirement planning. The conclusion to the conversation was, the person did not have proper plans in place, for retirement, or he could be making better plans.

This now led my colleague and I to have a lengthy discussion on financial management and life in general. Both of us lamented and endorsed the cliché, “If I knew then, what I know now!”, we ourselves, would have managed our finances much better in our earlier years. Thank God someone or something influenced us to course correct. In this regard, we had time on our side, but for someone else, they might be in a situation where they don’t have any more time. They are on the doorstep of the retirement time horizon, with a precipice on the other side, due to lack of proper planning.

I can just imagine the trepidation of someone who is retiring and facing such a situation. Although I am using the retirement example, there are so many things in life, that if we are not careful, we can end up running out of time with. Then when we try to course correct, we realize that there is no more road to traverse.

We ended up landing somewhere unpleasant and not where we ever intended to be. Our trajectory was off for so long, the wrong path seemed right. Airplane indicator lights appeared on the cockpit dashboard, but the warning signs were left unaddressed. Time ran out and the aircraft crash landed in places unknown. Pilots ejected, but as they slowly fall to hopefully a safe landing place, all that is on their mind is “could have, should have, would have…”.  

I tried to create some imagery here to immerse us in the scene, but it is for us now to overlay our own situations and visualize ourselves in our own shuttles. As our faces differ, our shuttles will differ. Some shuttles are moving along with one pilot, or there could be co-pilots such as friends, family, or co-workers trekking specific journeys.

But regardless of our journeys or destinations, now is a good time to look down at that console and see if there are any warning lights going off. No wise person sees these warning lights and leaves them unattended, for we all want to be good navigators. Isn’t that Right? You can be flying at a high altitude and with supersonic speed, but for how long? This is not about speed, but it has everything to do with direction.  

My friend, I say to you today, stop and compare the path you are on to the path you should be on. Have a time of pause and reflection. When last did you do such introspection? Reflect on all aspects of your life, the relational, financial, social, emotional, educational and above all spiritual. Critically examine them and see what needs to change before it is too late. Don’t crash land into “could have, should have, would have”, – island, then to wonder what happened. Stop and do your wondering and pondering now, while you still have some time.

An opportunity has been presented to you today to change your speed and direction. Let’s make solid attempts to get this course right! Trust me, your future self will thank you for it. It is about taking personal accountability for your actions and/or inactions, for the time we have been granted.

Will it be hard? Yes, because life is hard. When I look up the word life in the dictionary, the only synonym I see for it is the word HARD. As an unknown person said:

“Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard.
Obesity is hard. Being fit is hard. Choose your hard.
Being in debt is hard. Being financially disciplined is hard. Choose your hard.
Communication is hard. Not communicating is hard. Choose your hard.
Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. But we can choose our hard. Pick wisely.”

It is time to make a choice for the betterment of your future self, and sometimes this involves delaying gratification now to acquire it later. Giving up overeating now, for a healthier body in the future. Giving up the lust of this world now, for the benefit of seeing heaven in time to come.

Our personal hourglass has been turned on and started ticking since we were born. All of us have been given time, and we have also been granted a lifetime. Our lifetimes differ and no one knows the end of theirs. All we can do is embrace the day and the God given opportunities we have before us. The opportunity to love before it is too late, forgive before it is too late, give a hug before it is too late, conduct better money management before it is too late, get a better education before it is too late, or turn to God before it is too late. For the longer we wait, the weightier it becomes.

I close by saying this, “Let’s awake and understand the time, for there is no more time, for wasting time”

Your Brother in the Lord,

Dane Miller | Authored Book – “God is the Author, I am the Pen”

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