Tanya Tucker was featured on NPR a few years ago. She made a comeback album in her later years. I decided to check it out. One particular song called “Bring My Flowers Now” intrigued me–the concept of embracing time now, don’t wait.

So if you got love, then you’re sittin’ on a gold mine
And you can’t take it with you when you go
So don’t wait to help your sister
Forgive your brother and your neighbor
We all think we’ve got time until we don’t

So true. We live life in the present, and, as my mom would say, “Do what is before you.” She shared that sentiment when I was thinking about the lack of time to cultivate meaningful relationships outside my everyday responsibilities. I think of the meaning of time from the perspective of a 5-year-old versus someone my age. I was walking with my grandson, Spencer, Jr., in Southport, NC. We are on vacation as a family. The sunset, salt marsh, birds, trees, and flowers blooming were all begging for us to notice. He would shout, “Look at that bird, Gigi!” He would recall memories from the past visits and ask, “Do you remember?”

He views the world from the perspective of a child- a fresh newness. I experience the world with a sense of awe, where the wiser individual seeks to share the wonders of life with the younger one. From this exchange, my appreciation for beauty adds another layer of gratitude.

As I’m aging, time seems to be more scarce. Raising my children, I would complain about time in light of not having enough to get the daily tasks done, and to get enough rest. Now, although my time is different, I’m experiencing this curiosity of the lack of time to change things, or drastically make decisions that would encompass decades of work. That is a different feeling of time that a 5-year-old, or let alone a 20-something-year-old, does not comprehend.

Spiritually, we know that God is past, present, and future. I find comfort in this knowing that God has complete control over time, why I was born at this time, and my death in this world to eternal life in heaven. I’m really just passing through, and the eternal hope is my heavenly home. Also, something a 5-year-old would not understand.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Ecc. 3:1

We are gifted with intentional time, allowing us to fully embrace the different seasons of our lives and discover our true purpose. When we allow ourselves to worry about time, we often lose sight of the present moment, robbing ourselves of the joy that comes from simply being. In this journey, we come to realize that we are not interrupting the precious moments we have; instead, we are flowing with them, savoring each experience as it unfolds. By letting go of our anxieties about time, we can fully engage with our lives and make the most of every season.

Sounds poetic and easy. It is not. It is a daily practice. I went to a rest and restore yoga session yesterday. I thought we were going to exercise, and instead we rested on our mats. Imagine my mental adjustment. I adapted, got into my restful position, and engaged. I was somewhere in between, “What in the world is going on right now?” to “Okay, I see, this is awesome.” A practice of being present and adapting, flowing. One of the songs the instructor played was “Time” by the Emmitt Sisters. I’ll leave you with this restful song.

You could walk a million miles
Let the wind blow you across the sea
You could fly into the stars
To find what you are seeking

I tell you we got time
Baby time
Baby time

The things we feel we need
Can be the hardest to hold

I tell you we got time
Baby time
Baby time

And love can’t break your heart
If you let go

When I’m the closest to giving up
I’m sure to find shelter from the storm
My fear tells me just walk away girl

And you seem to open up your arms

You tell me we got time
Baby time
Baby time
To find stillness in the chaos of our minds

Tell me we got time
Baby time
Baby time

What doesn’t come to be
Wasn’t right

Ooh let it wash you
Ooh let it fall, let it fall
Ooh let it hold you
Ooh break down the walls

We got time
Baby time
Baby time

To break and unbreak
And create and remake ourselves

I tell you we got time
Baby time
Baby time

To throw our fears away
And when we’re brave
Take them back off the shelf

Ooh let it wash you
Ooh let it fall, let it fall
Ooh let it hold you
Ooh break down the walls

Tell you we got time
Baby time
Baby time

Tell you we got time
Baby time

I tell you we got time
Baby time
Baby time
And love can’t break your heart if you let go