It’s That Time of Year

Fall.  It’s that time of year when the leaves begin to fall, the first frost hits, and the days fluctuate between beautiful sunny times and damp, drizzly days.  There are so many holidays to prepare for in the fall.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas just around the corner, not to mention football games, cheerleading games and events, band competitions, and a host of other fall related activities.  Makes us want to set some boundaries on our time.  What we will do and what will we forgo.

 

Throw in a Chili Supper, Trunk or Treat, Thanksgiving Meal, Christmas Dinner, Revival, Christmas program preparations, and a host of other Church related activities and it’s enough to make us all want to go and hide for a while.  All these things are good in themselves, but obviously we all can’t do them all. What are the priorities?  What should you and I do?  Which things should we be most concerned about?

This is a story I have seen on the internet for years.  I’ve adapted it a little for our church family, but it’s truth always reminds me of life’s priorities.

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him.  When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2" in diameter.  He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. 

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.  He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.  He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous - yes.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things - your faith, your family, your children, your health - Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are really important. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your life. Spend time with God, make family and friends a priority, worship with fellow believers.

"Take care of the rocks first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."