Making the Most of Your Moments

I have a very busy little boy, who thinks he is a very busy BIG boy. These days, he’s crawling all over the house and pulling up on everything that will stand still!

Whether he’s heading for the dishwasher, attempting to dive off the changing table, or making a mad dash for the TV stand, Elisha keeps me running—every day, all day.

I never thought being a stay-at-home mom would be easy, but while I was expecting our son, I recall saying things like... “Yes, when I’m at home I’ll have more time to devote to that.” “When I’m not working, it will be much easier to find the time.”

Yet here I am at home all day, and I feel like every day has fewer hours than the last!

But as I was praying today about what to share with you all, I was reminded that I actually do have free moments scattered throughout the day, moments when Elisha is captivated by a toy or sitting at the back door watching our dog’s every move.

Yet too often, I don’t make these little moments count. I squander them. Five minutes checking my Facebook. Fifteen minutes reading recipe blogs. Three minutes looking at the wedding photos of some random people I don’t even really know. Two minutes scrolling through Pinterest. And so on and on it goes until the day is over and I’m frustrated with myself because I just “didn’t have the time” to read, memorize, or meditate on God’s Word very much that day.

My problem isn’t a lack of moments. It’s a lack of motivation!

My Savior deserves more than 20 minutes at the end of the night when my eyes are almost too tired to read the words on the page. His Word matters too much for me to not bother to memorize it or meditate on it more often.

As a mom with a baby to chase, meals to make, a house to clean, and laundry to do, I rarely have large blocks of free time. But I’m ready to start putting the bits of time that I do have to better use! I hope the ideas below will help you (whether you’re a mom or not!) make the most of your moments too.

• Be honest with yourself. Before you can eliminate your time-wasting habits, you need to identify them! Think back on how you spent your time over the last week. How much time did you devote to surfing the Internet, watching TV, reading magazines, or novels, etc.? Now ask yourself this: how much time did you spend reading, meditating on, or memorizing God’s Word, praying, or sharing the Gospel?
   
• Remember “The Potato Chip Principle.”  We all know that sitting down with a big ole bag of potato chips is a bad idea. Why? Because as long as that bag of salty and greasy deliciousness is in our lap, most of us are going to keep reaching in for more until the bag is empty and our stomach hurts. (OK, maybe that’s just me...) I think the same thing applies to time management. If “empty calorie,” time-wasters like social networking sites and television are within easy reach, we’re much more likely to choose them over something that will take more effort—like studying or memorizing Scripture. Our laptop is almost always on the kitchen counter. I’ll walk by, notice that I have a new email, read that email, and before I know it, I’ve spent ten minutes mindlessly surfing the net!
   
• Make your time-wasters less convenient. If TV is your weakness, don’t leave the remote on the counter or couch. Put it in a drawer, so that in order to watch, you must make a conscious effort to do so. If you’re like me and you like your laptop a little too much, make sure to put it away after using it. If you know you spend too much time texting, try to turn your phone OFF for a few hours every day. If you have a smartphone, consider turning off your email or Facebook notifications to limit your interaction with it.
   
• Make spiritual discipline MORE convenient. A little preparation can make it much easier to make the most of your free moments throughout the day. For instance, I’m moving my Bible to my laptop’s old home on the kitchen counter. That way, when Elisha is busy eating sweet potato puffs in his high chair, I can open it up, and pick up where I left off last time. When I’m eating my bowl of cereal in the morning, I can read the sweet truths of God’s Word, instead of reading about who’s in a relationship with whom! I also plan to create a stack of memory verses that includes Scripture I have previously memorized, plus some new ones. Even if I have only a few moments to spare, I need to spend every single one more wisely.

This often-quoted verse holds an incredible truth for those who discipline themselves to know God’s Word: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 ESV).

The New American Standard Bible says, “Your Word I have treasured in my heart.” The New International Version says, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart.”

That’s my encouragement for you today, friends—and my challenge to myself. Treasure His Word. Store it up in your heart every chance you get. Take every free moment you’re given, and use it to hide a little more of His sweet truth in your heart.

For His Glory!
Julie