Five Minutes

My children know how to do life way better than I do. They attack it with a vengeance. They cry when they are sad. They laugh when they get something stuck in their teeth. They ask for what they want without pretense or apology. I like my children so very much.

Recently my 4-year-old son imparted wisdom to me.

It was almost bed time when his sister was found guilty of something or other and sentenced early to bed. When my son realized he was still free while his older sister was not it was as if the heaven's opened up and shown upon him. He was overcome with awe.

Being adults my husband and I reminded him that it was only five minutes and he was soon to follow his sister. He didn't care. He had five minutes.


In an instant he dove into the toy box and began building blocks. This lasted for about 90 seconds before he declared, "I think I'll paint." He darted over to his desk, pulled out his water colors, smeared some half dry paint onto a sheet then jumped up saying, "And now... my roller skates." At this point he only had about 2 minutes left, a fact I reminded him of but made no difference to him. By the time he strapped on his blue plastic toddler skates he was down to about 1 minute. He spent that glorious moment gliding all over our wood floors, giggling as he did. When his dad called, "Josh it's time," my little man tossed off his skates and headed into his room with a huge grin and not a hint of protest. As he snuggled into bed he exhaled deeply and whispered, 'That was the greatest!"

At first I thought it was just his curly blond hair and his phenomenal face that made this so precious. Although that sure helped, the striking thing was his joy over a simple five minutes. His complete abandon and enjoyment of his "now." He had five minutes and he was going to live it to the fullest. He didn't question it, he didn't mourn that it wasn't six minutes, He just lived it with everything in him.

Me, not so much.

I have five minutes and I spend it thinking about the next five minutes. I have five minutes and I waste it obsessing about the last five. I have five minutes and I throw it away because I am not sure I have what my five minutes needs. I have five minutes. There are jobs to be done, there is sorrow and hurt, but I still have this, my right now, my very precious five minutes.

I have five minutes and when I really stop and think about it most of my five minutes are rather okay. Now some of my days really stink and I've gone through some pretty bad months, but when I am honest most five minutes are very livable.

Perhaps this is why God says He is the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end. I once thought He was saying this to prove to me who He is. I have since learned God is not so insecure. I think He tells me this because He is the only one big enough to handle such a large span of time. The only one huge enough to control it all, to make sense of it all. Perhaps this is why He tells me to not worry about tomorrow, not just because worry is sinful as we all like to say, but because He loves me and He wants me to enjoy my five minutes.

I'd love to just live in my five minutes, to realize that at this very moment I am okay, at this very moment I am hemmed in from behind, in front, and above by the Creator and Sustainer of life. Wouldn't such a realization take my eyes off of the disappointments of my day, wouldn't it make tomorrow so much less important. Those I love are living, those I love are near me, and right now, at this very moment I am okay. I am not sure that that last sentence will be true tomorrow, but it is right now-in this five minutes.

I personally and intimately know some of you who are reading this. I know there is pain that overwhelms. There are financial pressures, marriages in the balance, children you mourn over, sickness and even the fear of death. These things are so very real but our Holy and Mighty God is our Sustainer, He is the Alpha and Omega. He holds you, and He has given you, us, this very precious five minutes.

I do not know what my next five minutes holds anymore than you do. I don't even know if I'll ever be faithful enough to handle more than a mere 300 seconds, but I do know that I am ridiculously loved by the One who knows it all. So my dear loved ones, are you.

We have this five minutes.

Oh, how I wish you were all right here, right now so we could strap on some roller skates.