By Benescke Janse van Rensburg

Have you fallen into the trap of becoming so busy with perishable things that you don’t make time for the people you care about?

“Daddy, can I ask you a question?” the 6-year-old boy asked his father who again got home late and irritated after work. “Yes, what do you want to know?” the father replied. “Daddy, I want to know how much money you get at work?” This was a strange question. “Why do you want to know this?” the father replied curtly. “It is grown-up stuff. You don’t need to know. Do you brag at school whose father earns the most?”

The boy shook his head and begged. “No, Dad, we don’t. Please, I need to know how much money you make?” To end the conversation, the father replied, “If you must know, I make about R600 per hour.” The boy was quiet for a moment before asking, “Daddy, can I please borrow R300?” Immediately angry again, the father angrily replied: “If you wanted to know how much money I make so you can buy a toy, you can go to bed. Go and think about the fact that you always want, want, want. I work hard all day and don’t have time for childish games.” The boy went to his room and closed the door behind him while his father sat down on the couch.

After a while of relaxing, the father felt guilty for being too angry with the boy. Perhaps his son needed the R300 for something important.  After all, he is not a child who asks for money often. The father went to his son’s room and, while pushing open the door he asked, “Are you asleep, my son?” He wasn’t. As he sat down on the bed, the father said, “Daddy had a long day, and was unnecessarily angry with you. Here is the R300 you asked for.” The boy's face immediately lit up as he exclaimed, “Thank you, Daddy!” He then jumped from the bed, pulled open a drawer and took out a few crumpled money notes while starting to count them.

The father had to bite on his tongue not to say anything as he saw that his son already had money. Once done counting, he asked his boy, “Why did you have me for money when you clearly already have money?” The boy looked at his dad, “I did not have enough money, Daddy. But now I do. Here is R600. Can I please buy an hour of your time?”

What are your priorities like in your life? Are you so busy that your loved ones will also start to feel as if they have to “buy” some of your time? In Psalm 118:24 the Psalmist writes: “This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Today is a gift. You will never have it again. The only thing that will happen is that your children will grow up and your spouse older. Do you make time for your children and do you treat them in such a way that they would want to come and visit you once adults themselves? And do you invest in your marriage so you and your spouse will have something to talk about in your old age?

Let's be grateful for today and celebrate every moment we have to show our loved ones that we care about them. God bless.

Father God, thank You for the gift of today. Help me to prioritize so I won’t have any regrets later in life. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.