Time… An “Enemy”

FRI., SEPT. 20, 1996, 7:31 AM
FARM, STUDY

Retirement is still “away off” as you’re finding time insufficient for what you must do this month. You have lived a professional life with deadlines, mostly of your own setting, and now it seems as though that aspect of life should be over. “Been there. Done that.” Not quite. You still have deadlines, and one of them is Mine.

You have known for more than a month what the focus of Our next Ruminations will be. You have some basic Teachings to guide you, and you have gone through the Conversations… book, selecting possible statements, by Me, as God, that will be part of Our 3-way Letter. But you know that the writing will take time, and, as you look ahead, there doesn’t seem to be enough of it. In this earth scene it is an apparently precious commodity… at least in your culture. What is My advice?

The “long view” advises you to do what you can, with enjoyment and with awareness. Don’t let these “deadlines” rule you and take pleasure out of this last year of your active career. Yet each task has some importance, so I can’t recommend that your leisure should dominate. But for now you must muster some of that discipline that was necessary for your success in your career and accomplish what you must in the time available.

One continuing priority, of course, is the time for these Teachings. Three times a week is sufficient, but I’ll sometimes push for 4. I am the Wellspring of your spiritual life, which is the aspect of life that is of most worth. It shall extend on way beyond the life in your body, but it must be fed… in this special way that We have developed. You must not see it as an option. Nothing in your life, in the “long view” is more vital.

Then there is that “utilization” of these Teachings… the Letter called Ruminations. The schedule for these is both arbitrary and firm. From the time you mail one out until the next one you have 3 months. This time span must be used more wisely and carefully. See… you’re now down to 10 days.

You have been faithful, through the years, in reading and grading the papers you assign learners in your classes, so that they are returned at the next class session, which is usually a week. This, too, is important, and you must try to maintain this aspect of discipline during this last year. It is tempting to put these off… or to assign fewer tasks next semester. This latter is a possibility you should consider. Twinges of conscience may be preferable to frustrations with demands that are hard to meet.

Your monthly church responsibility looms within this 10 days also. It is an ongoing task, and you do it fairly efficiently. There must be time for that, of course. This Sunday commences your 3 week stint in considering death and dying in Christian perspective, and, your plan to encourage them to be aware of and appreciate the alternatives is appropriate. You’re not sure whether this will be enough for the time allotted… and, again, you must use time in preparation.

We are both aware of the added time that seems necessary in planning and preparing for each class. This is a major impetus toward your retirement, and it should be. Yet you want each class session to be “all that it can be”. It just does take longer

Then there are the letters… and the Farm upkeep… and time with Lenore… and special interruptions in routine that can be costly in time. I am certainly aware of time and of the struggles you have with it, and I’m pleased that I’m outside of it… and not limited to “one thing at a time”. You can’t quite imagine such a state of being, but when you finally come on over you’ll be ready to enjoy such, again.