Closer than They Appear

On your car mirror there’s likely a little phrase, “Warning: Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” Sometimes I think calendars should come with a similar phrase like, “Warning: Dates in calendar are closer than they appear.”

That’s because there is an almost universal tendency to not realize how quickly dates that once seemed far away, creep up and become urgent matters that need immediate attention. For example, if you schedule a meeting, vacation, or special event six months in advance, it seems so distant you don’t feel the need to do anything about it yet. Then two weeks before it is supposed to happen, you suddenly realize how much work is yet to be done and things go into crisis mode.

God’s way is to focus on the long term and to prepare far enough ahead of time to avoid the last minute rush. Whether you are preparing for Heaven or final exams, realizing that dates are closer than they appear will help you redeem the time.

Rick Grubbs is best known as the host of “Redeeming the Time,” a one-minute radio program featured on hundreds of radio outlets around the world. He has spoken thousands of times on Biblical time management in all 50 states and 26 other countries. He is the author of the book “Morning Momentum: God’s plan for launching an unstoppable day”. He and his wife Carrie live in Salisbury NC with several of their 12 children.

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