Time

Time is a precious commodity. It’s something I really took for granted before I had kids. I feel like I have no time anymore. I know there are still 24 hours in the day, but there just never seems like enough time to do it all. I recently read an article though that helped put it in perspective, so I thought I’d share.

There are 2 kinds of time: Chronos time is what we live in - the minute to minute, sometimes painful, time. It’s 90 minutes of class time, or 20 minutes in the car on the way to work, or however many painful minutes it takes in the waiting room at the doctor trying to keep a sick 2 year old from terrorizing the entire office. Chronos time is the hard, slow passing time.

But then there’s Kairos time. Kairos is God’s time. It’s those magical moments in which time stands still. I’ve been noticing those moments more and more recently, and I cherish them. They’re the times when I pause, and close my eyes for just a second, and think “wow, life is good. It couldn’t possibly get ANY better than this.” Here are a few examples of Kairos time for me:

-          When I lay in bed at night, and both kids are sleeping peacefully… I hear Abby breathing over the baby monitor and can’t help but smile. Kairos time.

-          Saturday mornings when Nolan is watching cartoons, Abby is happily playing in her exersaucer, and I’m sitting drinking coffee out of a real mug (not out of a travel mug rushing to work). Kairos time.

-          On our trip to Mexico recently, when I got in the pool, and just layed on my back staring up at the beautiful sky, with the ocean crashing in the background. Kairos time.

-          Any time Nolan or Abby laughs. There is no better sound than a child laughing. Kairos time.

-          At the end of the week when I get into my car to go home from school, exhausted, but with nothing but the bliss of a weekend ahead of me. Kairos time.

-          When I stop and really look at Jack. Or Nolan. Or Abby. And notice how absolutely perfect they each are. And how incredibly blessed I am to have them in my life. Kairos time.

-     When I go for a walk in the evening and look across the field as the sun is going down. It's a beautiful sight! Kairos time.

-          When I curl up on the couch at the end of a long day under a cozy blanket, with Boomer at my feet and a good book in my hand. Kairos time.

I could keep going. I could go all day. Because the reality is that I am truly blessed. I always wondered how I could ever love anyone else besides my family. Then Jack came along. And then I wondered how I could love anyone else besides him. And then Nolan came along. And then I wondered how I could ever love another child as much as I love him. And then Abby came along. It’s not that I love any of them  more than anyone else. My heart has just grown. With Valentine’s Day this week I’ve been thinking about love. My heart is so full of love. Sometimes I think it might burst because it’s so full of love. I am so blessed. I guess realizing that is really what Kairos time is all about for me. At the end of the day, it’s those moments, however brief they are, that keep me going.

Thank you Lord, for Kairos time.

"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations,  'The LORD has done great things for them.'" Psalm 126:1-3