Do you ever wonder how time flies? or Where life and our youth has gone? or How time is flying by? … Well, don’t we all.
Earlier in June, I saw another round of announcement from this year’s winners of the Diana award, and this reminded me of how old I had grown. [PS: I am happy for the winners and their “young” ages, I was once like them. Their celebrations just help me reflect introspectively]
The first time I heard about this award was about 2 years ago. By that time, I was way past the age of eligibility (< 25years) and even though I fitted right into all other criteria, I couldn’t apply for that singular reason. That was when it dawned on me – that I was growing old. And not just old in age, but old for certain opportunities, space and settings.
Again, just in July, a colleague shared some life’s issues with me. Somethings along the line of “feeling late” and “feeling like time has passed her by…”. Then just last week, around my birthday, another colleague also posted a scenario, asking “where did my youth go”?
The scenario was that they had a “youth” program in church. Ideally, he would consider himself a youth, but only to be announced that the age range of people expected at the event are those who are 30 years old and below. Suddenly, it hit him he couldn’t attend, because he was way past the maximum age allowed (in this his small age and small life, lol).
Also, on August 7 – my birthday – I got the number of “candles” equivalent to my age… and I kept recounting just to be sure. It was quite a lot, I must say. These and many more instances made me think and ask myself as well… Where did my 20s go? Where did my youth go? Where did all that time fly to? What have I achieved in my life in all that time? What did I spend the 2nd decade of my life doing? Is it too late to achieve my highfalutin goals and pursue my lofty dreams?
One thing is certain however, I sure did spend my 20s growing… up, old, into and out of so many things. On achievements, I would like you to reflect on that too. Using yourself in your teen years as a yard stick for comparison and nothing else. I mean, if you can, sit your-teenage-self down, and sincerely look at yourself in your first decade of life: your looks, wants, needs, knowledge, skills, dreams, aspirations and so on… then compare those with the exact same things in your life today.
Take a moment to soak it all in. Take note of how much has changed, how far you have come and appreciate the beauty of your growth in the minute details and conspicuous things.
Although, time waits for no one, but time – in itself – is infinite and doesn’t end. Time is expansive to contain all your dreams. Once this time passes, there is always another time or there will be other times… Therefore, don’t be in a haste, don’t be carried away by the hustle and bustle of life around you… and the passing of time. Focus on you, in your own time.
If you can – whatever it is you’ve had your mind on – start now and start today. Because if you keep dwelling on how much time has passed, you might never be able to regain time lost, or make the most of time present and available for you in the future.
And like I am going to render today, I will leave you with this scripture:
Ecclesiastes 3
A Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil?
10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.
13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
15 Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.
16 And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
17 I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.”
18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.
19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless.
20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.
21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?
May the Lord bless the reading of His word and help us count the number of our days, years, seasons and times in gratitude. Amen.
For more self-reflecting articles on the #CandidQuestions with Oluwakemisola A. series, click here.
May the Keeper of all lives, dreams, times and seasons – evermore – shine His face upon us. Amen.
Much Love and I hope to read from you soon,
Oluwakemisola A.
(11. 08. 2023)
KemK The Great 