For many of us, life can get pretty busy. Our calendars are filled with lots of entries.

Church events, meetings, family activities -- all, if not managed against priority, can get us into a place of not being effective in anything; we are just taking up space.

While grocery shopping last week, I found myself filling my basket with instant this and quick that. Once I made my way to the frozen food aisle, bingo, right before my eyes was frozen steel-cut oatmeal. In addition to it being healthy, I enjoy the flavor of steel-cut oats, particularly on cooler mornings.

My problem was solved. I could simply pop my frozen oats into the microwave and, bingo, I would be good to go. No longer would I need to put my organic steel-cut oats in a rice cooker and wait almost 40 minutes to enjoy.

Compared to my homemade version, however, the frozen oats fell far below standard. It was not a case of false advertisement because they were, in fact, steel-cut oats with fruit, just not as good as those that I make in my rice cooker.

We live in a world that offers instant gratification. No longer must we wait for much. Most things are available with just a flick of a switch or a push of a button.

If we don’t like the marriage or the relationship, we get out. If the job takes too long to produce, we quit and go elsewhere, only to discover something else we don’t like. If we need to lose weight, no problem; there is a pill or a surgery that can fix that. And we have mothers and fathers allowing children to make changes to their bodies through the magic of plastic surgery.

My oatmeal experience reminded me of the value of invested time. Just like my instant oats didn’t taste as good as my homemade, life is a lot like that. Many of our greatest successes and accomplishments didn’t happen overnight; they took time. I am reminded of a great quote from Albert Einstein, “Many of life’s greatest failures were those that didn’t realize how close they were to success before they quit.”

Sometimes we get in such a rush and we don’t stop to perfect the things we already have in our lives. If we had taken just a little more time or practiced a little more patience, the results could pay far more than starting over and over looking for instant gratification.

When I was starting out, I thought that my living space had to have every room filled with furnishings. The problem was, my money at the time didn’t allow me to buy quality. As a result, I ended up replacing poorly made furniture multiple times. If I had simply waited and saved my money, I could have bought items to last a lifetime.

Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don't give up.” This passage was right on time last week as I reminded myself to slow down, not to become frustrated with time, but to value each opportunity to perfect what I have been given to last the test of time.
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Tanya Wilson is an inspirational speaker and author living in Charlotte. You can find her on Qcitymetro.com every Monday. Friend her on Facebook, or email her at tw360you@aol.com.

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