Hattie’s View: They say time is money

By Ellen Coffey

Grandma lived on a little farm more than a century ago.

Days were considered to be from sun up ‘til sundown, but 24 hours in a day. 

The Bible measures our earthly time by space. Since time is God’s way of measuring space to help give order to our lives, how do we spend our time?

Did I say spend? Hmmm.

The dictionary defines spend (verb) put money out trading goods for services (noun)

 Spend: an amount of money paid over a certain period of time for things.

In my kitchen table analyses, I wonder what we have at the end of the day for time we’ve spent: Video games, soap operas, QVC shopping?

Or a pay check?

History supports the idea that for centuries, as written in nursery rhythms, folks had certain duties for certain days. Monday wash day time spent doing laundry.

Tuesday time spent folding or ironing etc.  

I recall bygone days, hanging clothes with wooden pins, on a clothes line that had a pole/ prop about half way to keep sheets and overhauls from dragging the ground.

Sometimes, if the weather suddenly changed, the clothes hung outside for days. Lord help us if birds were migrating and stopped flew overhead. Then there were times clothes froze stiff on the line. 

Let me get back on track here.

These days some folks get paid for working on a computer at a desk at home, the computer keeps records of time spent.

 Check those smart devices at the door. If applicable, they are not appendages. 

Could be about spending quality time taking sons or grandsons fishing or hunting. Maybe spending time with the family princesses to bake cookies or show them a knit one pearl two stitch to create a shawl. 

We should be accountable for time spent. 

Even retirees are doing what I call busy pleasures, working in a patio flower garden or videoing birds, bees and butterflies.

For instance my mom loved to write poetry and never wasted a minute, even while in a waiting room.

My dad’s hobby was rooting flowers, especially Azaleas, still blooming generations later.

I noticed our sons and sons-in-law enjoy tending, and grooming patio flowers. 

Bottom line: time spent should include paying it forward for others to enjoy. 

America is the most richly blessed nation in the world. We are experiencing the following scripture today.

(JKV Deuteronomy 6:11)

“Houses full of treasures you didn’t buy, eating from gardens and trees you didn’t plant and drinking water from wells you didn’t dig”. 

But at some point in time, someone, somewhere did.

I often wonder what some folks might have had if they had spent time wisely. It is said time is money. Why would anyone want to waste it y’all?