How to Make Time Slow Down

Where has the time gone? 

How many times have you uttered these words?

Can’t believe my child is already in kindergarten (or middle school, or high school)!

Countless Facebook posts declare these words underneath pictures of our kids as they’ve started a new school year.

I wish I could go back to the days when my daughter played dress-up.

I wish I could go back to when my son played tee-ball. 

Where has the time gone?

And as we look back on days we can never get back, our hearts ache to simply slow down time. Maybe with regret, we feel pangs of guilt for the past seasons of life we wanted to rush through.

And in the stillness of the moment, we wish things could somehow change. If it were possible, we’d give anything to be able to slow down the clock so we won’t have to face times like this again, wishing we could go back.

Life gets busy.

Chores must be done.

Bills have to be paid.

Homework completed.

Laundry washed. Again and again and again….

Making a mad dash for soccer practices and dance lessons.

Before we know it, we’re posting a picture on Facebook of another milestone moment.

Where has the time gone?

Dear friends, I don’t know about you, but my mind has wandered and lingered in this spot too many times to count. I’ve prayed and asked God to help me reconcile my moments of regret mixed with pangs of wishing to hurry up and get through a certain season of life.

Do you have those hurry-up-and-get-me-through-this-season moments too? I’m sure you have….

I can’t wait until this baby is out of diapers.

I can’t wait until this child can feed herself.

I can’t wait until this child can dress himself.

I can’t wait until I can put this kid on a school bus so I can have some free time.

I’m so ready for this girl to stop singing that same old princess song 100 times a day.

Can’t wait for the day when I can leave my child alone without a babysitter.

Can’t wait for the day when my teen can drive herself to school so I can stop being a taxi driver.

And before we know it, those seasons are gone. Our thoughts of hurry-up! have now turned into SLOW………..DOWN.

My prayer of crying out to God and asking him how I can possibly slow down time, came with this answer:

I can’t change how time works. One day still has 24 hours. One hour still has 60 minutes.

I can’t go back. I can’t touch the future. But I can decide how to spend today.

I get to decide how to spend each and every waking moment. I get to decide what my attitude will be for each and every waking moment.

Ephesians 5:16 says it this way, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

When I stand stuck in the pit of regret, it robs me of today’s moments. That’s unwise.

When I feel sorry for myself because a situation didn’t turn out the way I wanted, I miss out on the moments my kids are involved in at that very moment. That’s unwise.

Wishing to hurry-up and get through a season because it’s too demanding and inconvenient. That’s unwise. 

I don’t always get this right, but I’m slowly learning to live in the moment. Soaking it up. Embracing it. Living it. Trusting God one moment at a time. This is wise.

What about you? Are you wasting your moments looking back in regret? Are you wishing to hurry-up because you think the next stage is better? If you’re like me, maybe you waver between the two!

I encourage you today, dear friend, to be still. Breathe in the grace of God. Ask him to help you live one moment at a time, making the most of each day.

Instead of uttering Where has the time gone? I’d much rather say, Thank you God for allowing me to embrace the time you’ve given me.

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett