For most of my life as a Catholic, I have heard that to be faithful stewards of Christ we must share our time, talent and treasure. Each of these three gifts are valuable in their own way and for different needs. At times, it may be that money is the most immediate need, such as if there is a leaky roof or emergency situation in a far away country where we are physically unable to be present to serve. At times, our talent is most needed, to perhaps lead a group in a new project which requires particular skills and experiences, or when a budget needs to be drawn up. And then there is the stewardship of our time, which is such a valuable commodity in this busy world of ours. The enthusiasm with which we spend our time on various aspects of our life often reflects the true values we hold in our hearts.
At a workshop long ago, I heard that we should always make time for the things that we really care about. As part of an exercise, we were asked to place rocks into a jar. There were several large rocks and many more small rocks. We were asked to put all the rocks into the jar if possible. For those who put all the small rocks in first, the large rocks no longer fit. But for those who put the big rocks in first, the smaller ones fell around them and through them and there was plenty of room for both. The lesson is that what we believe to be the most important use of our life should be a big rock and be given the priority of time. It could well be that when we get our priorities right, there will still be time for other things that are good but not quite as valuable. For example, over the years I simply stopped sending out Christmas cards to the 150 people in my address book. It all started when I decided to dedicate more time for remaining calm and prayerful during Advent…
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Crystal and Kevin Sullivan
