I am in that season of life when stamina is not what it once was. Strength is less than it once was. Muscle tone is a daily battle that, if not fought and won, daily, is lost easily with further diminishment of strength and stamina. So I am learning to live life in short bursts, and I am learning that it is amazing what can be accomplished in those bursts.
I don’t know who said it. I can’t remember when I heard it, but some decades ago, someone said, . . .
“We tend to overestimate what we can do in a year
and underestimate what we can do in a day.”
I remember thinking, “that is probably true.” Since then, I have experimented with multiple variations of the thought. We tend to overestimate what we can do in a day, or morning, or an hour, and underestimate what we can get done in five, ten or 15 minutes. What I have found over the years is that it stands up as a genuine piece of wisdom.
Example: Behind my house is a pond with a spill-way at one end. Unfortunately, the top of the spill-way is very poorly designed and if it is not regularly maintained, the pond empties out and becomes a marshy mosquito trap. That is not acceptable. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of pounds of rock need to be added so that the top of the spill-way is raised and the pond retains water at a consistent level. I don’t have the energy, strength, knowhow, or resources to get and move enough rock to make a difference.
Or do I?
Maybe I am overestimating what I have to do?
Maybe I am overestimating what needs to be done?
Maybe I am overestimating or misestimating what resources I need?
My decision?
About six months ago, I started “mining rock” on the sides of the spill-way in its lower reaches. I would carry them up from where they were doing no good, to the top of the spill-way where they could do a lot of good. So, for an average of 5 days a week, for 26 weeks I have mined, moved, and placed an average of 15-50 pounds of rock in 5 to 15 minute increments to the top of the spill-way along with some other materials, and the pond now retains an average depth of about two feet over about a two acre area. How much rock has been moved? Answer: A low estimate is about a ton (2,000 pounds). A high estimate is perhaps as much as 2.5 to 3 tons. Amazing!
That’s a long story, but what’s the point?
This morning, I was meeting with a young man I am mentoring and he was mildly lamenting his lack of time to accomplish some of things he wants to a do with his life. His problem is the problem we all have. I shared with him the wisdom that was passed on to me decades ago, about living life in short bursts. Every stage of life is filled with new challenges to conquer, new obstacles to overcome, new situations to diagnose and come up with creative solutions to. We talked about how to obey the Scriptures, among them:
Ephesians 5:16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
full assurance of hope until the end 12so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators
of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
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