There’s are two Greek words for time – Chronos and Kairos. Chronos refers to a specific amount of time (such as a day or an hour) Kairos refers to a moment or a season (such as summer or toddlerhood). As a working Mom I must say that I manage the daily grind through Chronos time - keeping a tight schedule and plan so that we can accomplish all that needs to get done. But my daughter Olivia is who constantly reminds me of the joy of Kairos. When she finds something that she loves doing it’s as though time doesn’t exist and she could enjoy that season of time forever. The other day she got started doing art drawings and hours had passed. When she was finished, she hosted an art show where I got to be the first to see her revealed artwork. And might I say I was torn to know which I was more joyful over – her fantastic art drawings, or the delight on her face as she showed me her work. Watching her get lost in what she loves is a joy.
Olivia reminds me to let go of a rigid schedule when I can and allow myself the freedom of enjoying the moment. And summertime seems to match that same feeling with its warmer weather and vacation time. In the small pockets of time that I can I love getting lost in a good book while sitting outside or going on a walk with our sweet pup Charlie or cuddling up on the couch with Denis after a long day or coloring with Olivia.
What I love about time is how God views it. He cares about our time on earth, but He’s also the God of eternity. God’s relationship with time is beyond my circumstances here on earth, and yet I’m encouraged to know that my Chronos and my Kairos can be spent in ways that will impact eternity. Through the deepening of my relationship with God and my pointing others to Him I can ensure that myself and others spend our eternal lives with our Heavenly Father. There are a few scriptures that have recently encouraged me on how I spend my time:
So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun. Ecclesiastes 8:15
In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
No matter how your schedule might look right now, I pray that you find some time to enjoy life and slow down for a bit. And most importantly I pray that you find some time to connect with God whether that be in prayer, time in His Word, doing a devotional, a walk in nature, serving others, praising him in worship songs or using your talents. It’s there that we’ll find not just joy, but fullness of joy.
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