Mr. Edwards, meet Ms. Betty

On Monday morning, I kicked off my sleeping bag and rolled off my air mattress at around 8:15 (ah, the blissful life of an Area Director, sleeping through another morning of Marshmallow Mateys). In a rare move - that I wish would become more frequent - I headed straight for my Bible and devotion book. I turned to the next meditation and found words that I wanted to shout from the rooftops:

Time is precious. We are fragile. Life is short. Eternity is long. Shall we not then enter on every venture with a vigilance like that of the young Jonathan Edwards when he wrote his fifth resolution: "Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can;" which is really a subpoint of his sixth resolution: "Resolved, To live with all my might, while I do live"... Yes, this can become compulsive and unhealthy. But for those of us who need to hear it as an antidote to squandering the preciousness of irretrievable time, let us hear it...

Surely God means for our minutes on earth to count for something significant. Paul said, "In the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain" (Philippians 2:6). In the same way, I have good hope from the Lord that my "labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58). And I commend this promise to you. No minute need be lived in vain. Eternity will render it significant if lived in faith for the glory of God. In the end we rest in this: "My times are in your hand" (Psalm 31:15).
- John Piper, Taste & See, #79

How fitting, I thought, for the first day of our last YouthWorks week this summer. Time is indeed precious. I resolved to live this last week with all my might.

On Tuesday, I visited one of our new ministry sites in Atlanta - Cafe 458, a soup kitchen that looks and acts like a restaurant. They have a clothing closet there, and I took a peek inside. There I met Ms. Betty, a sweet 70-year-old who grew up working in the cotton fields of central Georgia. She works in the clothing closet every day for four hours, helping people pick out the clothes they need, rejoicing in every generous donation she receives. She told me that she found the job through the AARP, but that even if they had to stop paying her, she'd still come as a volunteer - she just wants to be doing something.

Throughout our conversation, Ms. Betty praised the youth who were volunteering at Cafe 458, talking about how nice it is to see young people working so hard and so willing to help. I found myself wanting to turn that praise around to her; it is exciting to see an older woman who is so willing to give of her time and energy, to serve so selflessly. She is truly improving the time she has, living with all her might.

As the day progressed, I realized how easy it would be to live with all my might this week. In the waning days of the summer, there is much to be cherished. It is easy to run hard now because the finish line is in site. I wonder if my resolution will still be strong after this race ends.

Will I live with all my might while I am on vacation next week?
Will I live with all my might in the dreary winter days when summer seems so far away?
Will I live with all my might when I am seventy years old?

Lord, my times are in your hands. Help me to greet each new day you give me with a resolve to handle each moment with care, to run with strength and perseverance, to live with all my might.