COVID-19's Reminder to Make the Best Use of Time

Raise your hand if, at some point during the past few months, you resorted to cutting your own hair — or at least seriously thought about it.

These past few months have been challenging for all of us. Here in northern California, nearly everything has been shut down, including hair salons. I finally reached the point of desperation and braved the scissors to cut my own hair — anything had to be better than what I had going. Anyone else brave the scissors?

Then the good news came that all of us had been waiting for: salons are opening! Woohoo! But our joy was short-lived. No sooner did I have an appointment scheduled that the announcement came informing us that salons would be shut down 48 hours later. I felt like the minions in the movie Despicable Me, “Whaaaaaat?”

Thankfully, I was able to get in so that my hairdresser could fix the mess I had made. As I was sitting in the swivel leather chair surrounded by the newly installed plastic panels on every side, something occurred to me: this short span of 48 hours had suddenly taken on great importance. Why? Because the window of time was closing fast.

And that’s when God reminded me of something I had written in my journal. It was a day when God stirred my heart to write about another window of time that was closing fast. God asked me to imagine what I would say if given the chance to speak. These are the words I wrote:

Beloved, you are here on this speck of dust called earth, in this moment of time called today, with breath in your mouth and My Word in your heart to declare My glory in a lost, dying, and broken world. You did not arrive here by accident — neither at your conception nor in this very moment — you have been given but a few breaths in this brief realm called time. How will you use them?

When I finished, God rattled me with this pronouncement: “These words are for you.” In that instant, I was humbled, amazed, and convicted all at the same time. God used my own words to speak back to me — words that I believe reflect His heart for all who belong to Him. Oh friend, none of us know how much time is left – and we’ve been given the greatest news there is!

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV)

What would you do differently if you knew Jesus was coming back in 48 hours?

Copyright © 2020 by Shadia Hrichi, author of LEGION: Rediscovering the God Who Rescues Me and HAGAR: Rediscovering the God Who Sees Me. Used by permission.