Do You Need More Time?
By Michael A. Verdicchio

For Christian dads it seems like time is at a premium. I know first hand.

One thing that keeps a lot of Christian dads from changing courses in their lives is thinking that they don't have enough time. With all the demands of their present schedule, they just don't see how they could possibly learn something new or further develop their current skills. They often see it as too time consuming. It is time that they just don't have. Or so they say.

The real question is not, "Do you have any extra time?", but rather, "Do you desire to invest some time into your own life?" Because, if you don't invest any time into your own life, by growing, improving, or developing, how can you expect things in your life to change?

Now there are plenty of excuses, but excuses never bring a solution. The truth is that each one of us has twenty-four hours everyday. We all get the same amount, no more and no less.

Years ago, I was getting frustrated and feeling overwhelmed and complaining about not having enough time to get done all I was required to get done. Someone told me that each day we are all given a twenty-four hour suitcase and some people just know how to pack better than others. He was right. At the time, I was not a very good packer!

It's true, those who are successful, and those who fail all have the same amount of time every day.

I know Christian dads personally who have spent months, "burning the midnight oil" and getting less sleep than they would like to have had so that they could learn something profitable for their lives and for their families. I've read similar accounts in books where people just rolled up their sleeves and put the time and effort necessary into something new.

Someone may reply, "Yeah that's nice for them, but I am too busy to do something like that!"

I know that there are Christian dads who work a job seven days a week. They can't simply quit their job and head out to college now, can they? Maybe not, but they can still invest time into their lives.

Consider this. Suppose a person does work seven days a week, and let's say he works a twelve-hour shift. That's pretty demanding isn't it? No. It's very demanding! But, remember the suitcase? Twelve hours still remain each day.

Now suppose he decides to invest two hours a day into learning something that will greatly improve his life, so that he doesn't have to work twelve hours a day, seven days a week for the rest of his life? If he only spent two hours a day, seven days a week, that would total seven-hundred and thirty hours per year!

How much can you learn in seven-hundred and thirty hours? And if you only devoted one hour a day it would still come out to three-hundred and sixty-five hours per year. Could you learn something new in that amount of time? Absolutely!

I can definitely relate. I remember when I first began doing digital audio recording on my computer at home. I knew very little about computers, and nothing about digital recording. But hour after hour, little by little, late at night, I learned. In fact, I learned so well that I was able to begin writing, recording and producing a number of audio projects from my home studio.

You've heard it before, and you know it's true; you will always find the time to do the things that you desire to do. It simply takes making a choice. God gives us all twenty-four hours every single day. That's His gift to you each day.

Why not pray and ask Him for His help? He is able and willing. He desires for you to be a successful Christian dad in every endeavor of your life!

You do have enough time! And with prayer, a little planning, and some effort, you can accomplish more than you've ever dreamed of!