I honestly can’t remember where I heard this, or I’d give appropriate credit … but there are two types of time in life – alive time and dead time.
I’m guessing you may have some time on your hands, unless you’re an essential worker. And I’ll pause to give a big shout out and much love to:
- Health care workers and medical professionals
- First responders
- Truck drivers
- Grocery, convenience store workers and other necessary retail
- Sanitation workers
There are plenty of others. These folks do NOT have the same kind of time as I do, or you either, most likely. They are away from home and family, and having any time at all is a luxury. My love and admiration know no bounds. We are redefining “hero” in these days.
But back to alive time and dead time. Most people, if they have some excess time, choose to kill it.
Killing time is more than just a saying.
Examples?
- Netflix
- Mindlessly scrolling on their phone
- Complaining or wishing their current situation away
We know these kind of people because we are those people. Ouch.
Right now, you and most of the world is on lockdown. I have yet to be able to wrap my head around that. “Surreal” is the term I keep returning to. It’s like watching a movie with no ending.
So what are we to do? I have some thoughts. I’m ready for some positive.
We can use this time to:
- Invest in ourselves
- Learn and improve
- Learn new skills
- Develop more intimacy with God
We can’t control the situation we’re in, but we can seize the moment. And how we react and use this time will determine who we are as people.
What do these days mean to you? What are you discovering? Don’t waste this.
Make your dead time alive time.
Here are my five initial thoughts. I’ll probably think of some more, but this is a starter. Hey – make your own list, too!
- Master the art of resting. One thing I’ve heard over and over is that people are challenged by trying to be still and quiet. Ancient script admonishes us to “be still, and know that I am God.” That’s an art we’ve simply lost. I’m thinking about one specific teenager right now who was involved in everything, and I mean everything – team and individual sports, other extracurricular activities, a part-time job, in addition to “regular” school responsibilities. That kid has gone from 60 to zero virtually overnight. I bet they’re losing their mind … unless … they learn to rest. Folks, take heed. I believe all of us, with few exceptions, don’t know how to rest. What if you took thirty minutes a day just to sit in silence and just listen? I can’t tell you what you need to listen for. All I know is that you’ll recognize it when you hear it. It takes that long for all the racket and distractions in your head to settle down. Maybe you’ll hear that “still, small voice,” perhaps for the first time.
- Make something with your hands. I’m seeing a lot of folks on social media putting together complex, involved jigsaw puzzles. That’s not my thing, but if it’s yours, or if it’s something you’d like to experiment with, good. Maybe you have some rudimentary art skills with paint, clay, or even crayons. Maybe you have wanted to try your hand at woodworking. Or working in the yard (definitely not me, but knock yourself out.) I’d even consider cooking, or writing, or a hobby in this category. That’s a big step toward making dead time alive time.
- Read. Don’t balk. “I don’t like books,” you say. Well, I can’t fix that for you – maybe it’s just never appealed to you, or you were forced to read in school. Because of that, you said, “I’ll never read a book again.” Fine. I’d just quote Harry Truman: “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” You can read some things that are nourishing and soul-satisfying. You can read just to learn. But don’t blow off reading for sheer entertainment. Don’t hate. Don’t judge. I’m sticking with my opinion on this.
- Wrestle with a challenging or controversial subject. I hope this makes sense in the context of dead time and alive time. Have you had a question that troubles you? For me, it might be some sticky theological issue. How, for instance, do you reconcile God’s sovereignty with free will? (I’ve read plenty from folks a lot smarter than me on this one. And since this is a question that hasn’t been definitively answered in a couple thousand years, I don’t think I’ll come up with it. But it’s fun to wrangle it … and if I want your opinion on it, I’ll ask you for it!) There are plenty of other questions you may have but haven’t had the time to dig into. I can be looking for a recipe, and two hours later I realize I’ve learned all there is to know about the Byzantine empire. Going down a rabbit hole is easy for me. Point is – be intellectually curious; now you have time to find some answers. Or maybe get more frustrated. Whatever.
- Make a difference for someone. This is a wide-open opportunity, isn’t it? I can assure you that there are people you know and love who are in worse shape than you are. Want to move dead time to alive time? Find a need and meet it. There is so much you can do from your own home. Simply calling and checking on people is a great move. Call a local nursing home and find out if there’s a client who is especially lonely, and call and talk to them. It may be that the difference you make can happen right in your own home. Play some board games. Do crafts together. You were created by a Creator to be creative. Now’s your chance. You might just be someone’s answered prayer. Seriously.
That’s my five. One more, as a bonus:
Make a plan to celebrate when this is all over.
Because it will be.
You can have hope. Change your dead time to alive time. You and your part of the world will be grateful for it.