By Steven Temple

Guest Columnist

 

Sixty seconds. One minute. A measurement of time that is used in many different ways. One second is called the base unit of time. We can use it in doing exercise, measuring things, or timing an event. Sixty seconds. Sometimes life lingers on an operating table or in an accident within these precious seconds. When things are going awry sixty seconds can seem so long but in normal life it is just a quick passing. What happens in those sixty seconds can affect your entire life in one way or another depending on the circumstances of the clock that you are watching.

Many health tests are performed in this allotted time. Our oxygen levels are compared, our heart beat is recorded, among other things. In a rapid response from an emergency, a lot can change in those seconds. Sixty seconds may not seem like a long time when nothing major is happening, yet, sixty seconds is an eternity if we would find ourselves trapped under the water.

We have to look at this time and consider how many choices can be made in this. We can respond in less than sixty seconds either in a positive way or a negative way. Depending on which way we respond could determine not only the next sixty seconds but years to come. In one minute, our entire world can change, either for good or for bad.

I began to think about the question I heard asked not long ago, “if you only had sixty seconds left to live, what would you do?”. That time would not seem like too long at all. We may spend the entire time with tears in our eyes while sobbing greatly. Would our lives flash before our eyes? Would we have any regrets for the life we have chosen to live? Would we have any regrets on how we have treated people? Is there someone that we would have to speak to before this life ended? Is there one person we would want to spend that last minute with? What could we possibly say in this time limit to make up for all the hurt or damage we may have done? How many hugs could we give to our children or grandchildren?

Many questions we could ask, but by the time you read that last paragraph, it is over. Everything we left undone in this life would stay undone. Every word we failed to speak would never be spoken. Every hug we intended to give would go ungiven. Everything would have been finalized by now. Time is out. Those sixty seconds are gone.

The Bible tells us in Romans 12:9, “Let love be without dissimulation.” What is dissimulation? It is defined as, concealment of one’s thoughts, feelings, or character. In other words the Apostle Paul is telling us, do not hide your feelings or your thoughts in love to others. We should make sure that we use every moment of time that we have on this earth to love people. Do not take it for granted that people know that you love them. Make sure they know at every moment that you can. Do not hold back your love for people, tell them at every chance that you get. When your sixty seconds come you will not have to be in urgent despair to try to reach all of them. They will know.

Too many times we let time pass without even the gesture of letting people know how deeply we love and care for them. Some of them will never know the depth of your affection because you never took the sixty seconds to shower them with your love. Make sure that you do not conceal your love for your family, friends, and all of the others in your life. Take sixty seconds out of your day today and reach out and let someone know that you care. What will you do with those final sixty seconds of your life?

 

Reverend Steven Temple is the Pastor of The Church on the Hill, located at 681 Highpoint Road, Rose Hill, Virginia. Pastor and congregation welcome you to worship with them. Services are as follows: Sunday morning Bible study at 10am, Sunday worship, 11 a.m., and Wednesday evening worship at 7 p.m.