What does 6 minutes cost you?

Yesterday, I met with a friend for lunch. Because I had taken my wife's car, I did not have any change for the meter downtown. My friend gave me 3 quarters and 3 dimes - enough for 1 hour and 24 minutes. It was 12:00 when I parked.

Needless to say, we got to talking, and next thing we knew it was 1:30. We left the restaurant and headed for the car. I was met by a yellow envelope. Yeah, they got me - just 6 minutes late and it cost me $12.49! That was a very expensive 6 minutes.

Anyway, it gets me to thinking about our time and the value of time. Just a few minutes with a colleague could make the difference between a person hurting and a person healing. Just a few minutes to jot a note of thanks or appreciation could change an entire day for someone. Just a few minutes to text a friend, to write an e-mail, to... fill in the blank. Amazing the impact we could have on others if we take a few minutes to be about others.

Even more important, what would happen if periodically we took a few minutes to ask the Creator of heaven and earth what He wanted me to do today? What would He want me to write? What would He want me to share? How would He like me to serve someone today?

If I spent a few minutes throughout the day to hear the heart of God, imagine the impact it would have.