Time vs Man

No matter how old we are, we all wish there was more time. More time in our day, more time to spend with kids or that special someone, more time to get our check lists done or errands run, more time to work, more time to play. Time...Time...Time...
I feel like my life revolves around time. On any given day, I can be found sitting down and figuring out (either mentally or out on paper) just what my day is going to look like from start to finish. I have come to not understand that down time is a good thing. The moments when there is not a single thing to do should really be coveted rather than dreaded. I always find myself wishing that there were more hours in my day to spend with the people I care about.
But, time, like money, doesn't grow on trees.
I allow the idea of time running out to run my life. I schedule things back to back so that I am not being wasteful with my time. Don't get me wrong, I think it's important to make sure that you are using your time wisely, but there should be a healthy limit to how far you push your schedule. We, as Americans, are generally in a rush. Maybe not 24/7, but more often than not. We feel the pressure of deadlines in our life and instead of prioritizing, we push to get everything done, and we miss out on what's important-Relationships.
I learned a great deal of things while on my trip to Africa, but one of the most important was how incredible it is to put relationships before things. The Kenyan people are said to be "event driven" rather than "time driven." Meaning, they dont' rush around to make sure they are at a conference by 9am when it is suppose to begin. They know they will make it there, and to them, the even lasts all day. They allow themselves to finish the "have to dos" around the house, and if they see a neighbor or friend on the walk to where they're going, they will stop to chat or say hello. They don't blow by the person because they have to be somewhere by a certain time.
Every meal we had was a sit down meal that consisted of food out on the table or buffet style and everyone sitting around the table. We all enjoyed our meal together which allowed us to share about the day that we were about to begin or had just finished. Fewer and fewer families actually make it a point to teach their children from a young age the importance of sitting together for a family meal. And, I put sitting together in bold print because so many parents allow their children to eat before the adults do, or the kids eat at the table and dad or mom at the computer or tv. Even as children get older, they need to be made to sit down and have a family meal.
I deepened relationships with people because of these meals. My day felt more full, even if I just walked around and talked to the school kids, walked to the orphanage, walked up the hill to a village, or sat out front and chatted with a random person, the fact that I invested in lives made me feel full.
As human beings, we were created for relationships. We enjoy talking and listening and interacting. Jesus had 12 men that he shared his days with, and he had other friends outside of that 12 that he spent time with. He didn't walk past a man on the side of the road or a woman with a sick child. He took the time to converse, to heal, and to teach. He made it a point to invest in lives and make relationships. His focus was people and not time lines.
If it weren't for the Kenyan's view on time (or lack there of), there is a good chance that I wouldn't have formed the connections to these amazing people below.

Pastor James and Damon

Sweet Joe

Big Rob

Daison

(There are many more that I now consider lifetime friends, but I am saving them for another post.)

I challenge you. The next time you are pressed for time but see your neighbor outside or a friend around, take the time to say hi and find out how they're really doing. Maybe even take the chance to invite them for dinner and be sincere about it. You might be surprised by just how much encouragement you receive from such a simple act.
People before time.....