Meditations from Zion

John 3:22
… Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.

It’s really very simple. To get to know someone, you have to spend time together. If we want to be known, then we have to spend the time. But, our contemporary life is making the spending of time with others more and more difficult. We are busy… too busy to “spend” time. We will spend money before we will spend time. We will rush from place to place, event to event, workday to workday, phone call to phone call… but is it really spending time together?

To me, spending time means giving no thought to my own agenda, but giving that time as a gift to another. If I am more interested in the other person and listening to that person, I am spending my time on him or her. There is a difference.

I confess, I enjoy telling a good story. I can “entertain” anyone or any small group with a series of anecdotes about the Browns… one teen story after another, one work story after another, one random act after another (for instance, I fell out of my shoes at the last Chamber of Commerce luncheon: I landed on the floor and my shoes remained standing like two brave soldiers… a funny story at my expense). But, have I spent time with the person? Have I listened to them? Not really.

The time has come to make a conscious effort to “give” my time, my presence, my heart to others. It’s time to spend the time. And of course, the same is true for the time I spend in prayer and meditation. As I give time to God, I am rewarded with more time to give. “… to him who has, more will be given…” (Luke 19:26)