Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking, into the future...

"What does it really matter?"  This is my new question.  What I want to know is, how does the situation before me right now affect the next 100 years?  next 1000 years? eternity? What I am dealing with is that much of what I find myself "stressing" over are issues that in the next 5 minutes to 10 years will be totally irrelevant.  So I come back to the initial question I need to ask myself more often and with greater intensity.  "WHAT DOES IT REALLY MATTER?"

In training my children, the actions and consequences could affect the next 100+ years if the Lord tarries.  In doing my job at work, the actions I do could affect the company for the next 100+ years if the Lord tarries.  My involvement in church and school functions could affect my community and others lives for eternity.

However, often those are not the greatest stresses for me.  Being on time for me is important.  Getting where I am going quickly is important.  Organization, efficiency, structure, design... all tend to be areas of importance for me, and what I have to deal with internally is - how important is it?  Does it really matter if things don't fall as I have planned?  Is it really vital for things to be organized, efficient, on time...? 

I find when I take the time to ask myself, "what does it really matter?", I begin to look around me at the people (who do really matter) and the events (that usually don't matter) and I am required to wrestle with which is more important at the time.  Which one will last into eternity? 

If I find myself minimizing the people around me to look organized, structured, scheduled, etc. I am confident that I am missing what really matters.

Today, I want to remind myself that time keeps ticking but people last forever.  If what I say and do can help someone else find truth and eventually an eternal relationship with God, nothing else really matters.