Love Is Spelled T-I-M-E

HOW DO YOU SPELL LOVE? Well, for most of us, the simple answer would be L-O-V-E. But to a growing child, the answer may be that love is actually spelled T-I-M-E. Time.

So when it comes to showing our love through our time, what matters most: the quantity or the quality?

The answer often depends on the moment, but in general it seems that both the quantity and the quality of time matter very much.

I know a father who had a busy career. He was a tenured professor at a major university and spent much time writing, speaking, and consulting as part of his work. One summer, he determined to build a playhouse with his children. Of course, the prime playhouse-building hours were when the sun was shining. So he would get up each morning, long before the sun rose, and head to the office and the piles of work awaiting him, ensuring he could return home in time to work on the playhouse with his children.

All summer long, this father and his children labored on the playhouse together, and eventually the work was deemed complete. Bent nails, crooked boards, and uneven paint marked the memories they had created. A sense of accomplishment by the children was the crown jewel.

Later, this father commented on the time it took to build the playhouse that summer. He noted that the project could have been finished much faster if he had done everything himself. But spending his time working side by side with his children created memories that were never to be forgotten. Today, his children still speak fondly of the playhouse project.

The quantity of time invested that summer built a quality relationship between this father and his children. And the quality time they shared—talking, laughing, and problem-solving—made them each want an even greater quantity of time together. In the end, both the quantity and the quality mattered.

Time is one of our most precious resources, and it’s one that seems to always be there—until it isn’t. The way we choose to invest our time matters greatly.

As we look to the future, may we petition heaven to help us recognize when—meaning the quantity—and how—meaning the quality—we may best invest our precious, God-given time.