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There is exactly enough time.

Lately I’ve been feeling pressed for time, and keenly feeling my limitations in this area.

I’m a dreamer and schemer, and this fall I’ve had to say “no” to so many things I would dearly love to do, and the deciding factor–for each and every decision–has been my time.

everything changed for her

But last week, someone shared this Brian Andreas quote with me, not knowing that I’d been lamenting my time crunch to my husband just the night before:

“Everything changed the day she figured out there was exactly enough time for the important things in her life.”

These were the right words at the right time, and I’m choosing to believe they’re true, even if I don’t exactly feel it (yet).

I’ll be continually asking myself this week what matters, and what doesn’t. It sounds so simple, but these moment-by-moment decisions are weighty. There’s tension there, and it’s uncomfortable, but there’s grace in the midst of asking these questions.

As you enter this week, my wish is that you (and I) would believe that for the important things in your life, there is exactly enough time.

Do you believe it? 

StoryPeople print by Brian Andreas available here

19 comments

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  1. I had a wise friend tell me this- that there is enough time to do what God calls us to do. So when I’m feeling the crunch, I have to think something crept in that God had no part in, even if its something good. It’s just not for now. Thanks for this, Anne!

    • Jenny says:

      LOVE this Melinda, such a great (and sobering) point to bring a little gut check to a situation that may be ‘good’ but not ‘good for me, right now’

  2. EricaM says:

    I really needed this. We’re getting ready to move, and while it’s not very far away from where we are now, I’m still feeling the pressure. But we’ll somehow manage. Even if at the end stuff gets thrown willy-nilly into boxes and I spend the next three months re-finding everything. XD

  3. Amanda says:

    I tend to be the kind to over schedule myself and have found that while at first it was very hard, saying NO to things has been incredibly liberating. I used to feel like I needed an actual conflict to gracefully decline, but now I’m easily able to say “No thanks” to good things that would put me over the busyness line I drew in the sand.

  4. Oh, there is more than enough time. More time than we think. We often fill our time with things we don’t really want to do or that aren’t priorities. Sometimes we think they should be priorities, but you know, if they aren’t, they aren’t. Acknowledge it. Make different choices.

    • Anne says:

      “More than enough time” sounds even better! While thinking through my own schedule, I’ve realized I haven’t done a time diary in over a year. I’m tracking my time this week so I can see exactly what my hours look like. (So I can acknowledge how I’m actually spending my time, and make different choices if I need to.)

  5. Tim says:

    My high school band teacher used to say that we always have time to do the things we want to do. He usually said this after one of us told him we didn’t have time to practice our music.

    It’s a corollary to Auntie Em’s take on things. There’s always enough time to do the things God wants us to do. And I agree with Laura Vanderkam’s take on things too: there is a ton more time than we think most of the time.

    Cheers,
    Tim

  6. Elizabeth says:

    Oh, I’ve definitely been thinking about this one lately. In fact, the past month I’ve put myself on lockdown in a couple of time-wasting areas – tv (hulu/netflix at night) and internet mostly. I don’t want so much of my “relaxing” time dedicated to screens!

    Which in a way, has given me a different set of (good) problems. With so many interests that I want to explore and skills I’d like to improve, I’m finding it a bit difficult to allocate enough time in my schedule to for these new things. I want to believe that quote too.

  7. Lynn says:

    Couldn’t tell you where I heard it, but the following affirmation works…every single time!
    “I have all the time I need.” Not all the time I might want…but all the time I NEED. Try it.

  8. Ginger says:

    My dear late pastor used to say something similar: “There is enough time to do gracefully all that we’re supposed to do. If your days aren’t graceful, you’re doing something you’re not supposed to be doing.”

    It has always stuck with me. When I feel my life is getting a little frenzied, I take stock as to what I’m not supposed to be doing.

    Hubby and I regularly timeblock, and similar to Gretchin Rubin’s “keep an empty shelf somewhere” we keep an empty night each week, where nothing, no matter how fun or tempting the offer, can creep in. It’s essential for this introvert!

  9. Marie says:

    As an aside to your post Anne, I have to say that Andreas’ artwork and writing is so incredibly inspirational. I have his pieces framed in my children’s playroom and I look at them regularly. He so perfectly encapsulates what we’re feeling and beautifully illustrates it to boot. Where does he come up with the stuff? ❤️

  10. Judy says:

    Yes yes yes
    Especially coming on to the holidays when there is so many things and options pulling me in so many directions.
    Is it important?! I must remember that.

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