A funny thing happens when we have too much

A funny thing happens when we have too much time - we waste it. I have discovered more and more that when I have excess of something, it is easier for me to squander it. This past summer I had about the same amount of leave as I have had for Christmas this year. Last summer, however, I was basically guiding a friend around west Texas. We took a little over a week and covered more than 1700 miles of west and southern Texas, and had a great time doing it. Once he left to spend time with his own family, I only had around 1 week of leave left over and I made very good use of it. I spent time with all of my friends that were in town, played basketball with them, etc. This leave, however, I really haven't made good use of my time. I had nothing planned, and consequently, nothing really got done. I hung out with some friends, met one for racquetball (and am now sitting around waiting for a rolled ankle to heal), and realized that the one girl I have every really loved isn't interested in being more than a friend to me.

I have started noticing a pattern. As a mechanical engineering student I often have an extreme load of homework. I realized this past semester that, regardless of how much homework I had I always finished up around the same time. Even on nights when I had virtually no homework due, I would find ways to distract myself until fairly late, and finally finish up my homework around the same time as usual. This epiphany has got me thinking. If I usually waste what I have excess of in these two areas, perhaps this is a common theme with me. What else do I waste because I have too much of? Immediately it hits me. What is the one thing that has been given to me freely, without end? God's love for me, and for all mankind. Am I wasting the love of my Savior?

I am now thinking about how I treat others. Do I share the love with others like Jesus has shared with me? Just as important: Do I accept the love of Jesus for myself? Or do I know it is there, know it is abundant, and refuse to accept all He has for me? I would submit that yes, I do in fact squander God's love for me, and I don't show the love that He has called us to pour out on those around us.

For any of you who are in the same boat as I am, I encourage you to think about how you deal with the things you have been blessed with having an abundance of (sorry if this feels like a sermon, this is just my musing of the day). Whether it be money, time, Love, or anything else, remember that God has called us to be stewards of everything we are given! I am working on that for myself...

Storm