An Indescribable Gift

Time ... 365 ¼ days, 12 months, 52 weeks in a year, or 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, 86,400 seconds in a day leaves us with a question, what will be do with this precious gift?

As I hunkered down this past week to meet a writing deadline with rewrites far more extensive than I had anticipated, I planned my week out in precise increments. It was prudent to get stingy with this thing called time. God would surely understand, would He not?

This is what transpired.

• The Spirit of God gently wooed, "do not rush my time with you, dear daughter, take time to pray for those in need."
• My mother-in-law calls, she needs to go to the doctor—again.
• The pharmacist calls and my mother-in-laws Pharmacare has been cancelled, that means endless phone calls to straighten out the problem.
• My neighbour whom God has been placing on my heart to care for, knocks at my door in the middle of a creative surge in my writing.
• That friend/widow who is approaching the anniversary date of her husband's death knocks on the door of my heart.
• My husband is not feeling well and needs more attention.
• My friend with cancer needs a hospital visit.
• Another friend calls and needs help picking up her new couch and wrestling it into her apartment.
• The Bible study I lead on prayer needs preparation and guess what … prayer.
• The ladies in a small group I mentor need encouragement.
• I am reminded to write that letter to the former employee who now sits in prison. Alone. Destitute. In need of human contact and kindness.
• Get off the Birthday card to one of my sponsor children in Mexico who look forward to the stickers, and colors, and joy of a letter.

In one small week of 7 days and 189 hours, giving the gift of my time beckoned, convicted, and demanded attention.

You have your own list, your own story of needs calling out your name. What will you do with your 1440 minutes today?

Did you know that Jesus was referred to as the Indescribable gift? In 2 Cor. 9:15 "Thanks be unto God for His Indescribable Gift."¹

I see that God has emulated what truly matters in the giving of his son Jesus Christ—the Indescribable Gift. The highest was given. The costliest sacrifice. The most precious gift … ours for the taking. If Jesus gave his life, what more of an example do I need to give. And not just of my money, but of something far more precious—my time.

A quote by Saint Augustine struck a deep chord. "You are to pay special attention to those who by accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you."

None of these happenings listed above were by chance. None of the stirrings of the Spirit to stop what I am doing, listen, and do something other than my writing were by happenstance.

When we live in the Spirit and live the life God has destined us to live, we are subjects of His will be done, not ours. In doing His will we enlarge His territory, make an impact on what He cares about … which will always be people. The Indescribable Gift came to give His life for the redemption of people.

Simone Weil said, "Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity."² Who does the Holy Spirit want you to be generous with this week, this day, this moment? Let's agree together to let God lead the way. And let's raise up this beautiful title of God The Indescribable Gift in prayer. 

Dear Indescribable Gift, how precious is your name. Let me hear Your voice today and let Your will be done. Let me give freely of my time as You interrupt my day with whatever You desire. Amen

Listen to this inspiring awesome song by Chris Tomlin called Indescribable.

1) King James Version of the Bible. Public domain.

2) Simone Weil, from an April 13, 1942, letter to poet Joe Bousquet, published in their collected correspondence (Correspondence (Lausanne: Editions l'Age d"Homme, 1982), 18).