"You think your traffic situation is bad? It’s probably mild if you compare it to the world’s worst traffic jam which occurred April 12, 1990 as 18 Million cars piled up along the East and West German border at the fall of communism.
Traffic is one of the biggest time wasters in modern life. A recent study showed the problem is likely to get worse in coming years as the world’s cities continue to grow. That’s one reason we must look for ways to either avoid traffic or find creative ways to redeem the time for the Lord while in traffic.
If your work schedule is at all flexible, you may find by going to work an hour earlier you cut your commute time by 15 minutes. But the only way you’ll know is to experiment. As one traffic reporter said, “If you’re thinking of leaving now, you’d better start a few minutes earlier.”
That might be good advice for those who want to redeem the time.
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"Spending less time with mail, memos and email means spending more time with people.
One system for dealing with paper and email is know as the RAFT method. It stands for respond, assign, file or trash. Every paper, at work or home, can be handled in one of these 4 ways.
The first, ""R"" RESPOND- Means we take whatever action is necessary to deal with the paper. We make the call or we fill out the form.“T”- TRASH, is where most paper should go.
“A” - ASSIGN is the second option. We send it to the person whose responsibility it is to deal with this matter.
The third option is “F” - FILE. If we really do need to keep this information, file it. But don’t pile it.
The fourth option is ""T""- TRASH. This is where most paper and email should go
Next time you feel like you are drowning in a flood of paper and email remember grabbing the RAFT, respond, assign, file, or trash can be an effective method of redeeming the time.
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"A stately old member of the British Navy died recently and was buried with full military honors at Powderham Castle. He was given such honors because of his extraordinary length of service. You see, he first served the navy in 1854 in the Crimean War. His name was Timothy the Tortise. And he died at the age of 160 years after having served as navy mascot for a century and a half.
Tortoises can live to be 160 because of what scientist call negligent senescence. That means that once they reach maturity, their bodies basically top aging. Unless disease or injury kills them, they can live extremely long lives.
It would be nice if our bodies worked the same way. But God designed these “earthen vessels,” as the Bible calls them, to eventually wear out. That’s a thought that discourages many people. But if we are certain of our home in Heaven, the aging process can be thought of as a countdown to glory and a motivation to redeem the time.
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"In 1992 Michael Plant began a solo crossing of the Atlantic in his new sailboat, the Coyote. This boat was one of the most technologically advanced in the world with state of the art electronic navigational and emergency equipment. A support team monitored him by satellite and radio.
Michael’s adventure turned to tragedy however, when a storm came and overturned the boat and Michael Plant was lost at sea. Investigators later determined the cause of the fatal accident was all of the gadgets which had made the Coyote top heavy. The boat simply wasn’t deep enough below the water line to balance the fancy gadgetry above.
One author makes an analogy between Plant’s tragic death and the tendency of today’s Christians to capsize because of lack of spiritual depth. We spend all our time seeking bigger and better things that promise safety and happiness but end up weighing us down.
Instead, spend time with God today deepening your vessel so you can weather the storms. That’s how you redeem the time.
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