An Examination of My Use of Time
Killing Time
How do I kill time?
Let me count the ways.
By worrying about things
over which I have no control.
Like the past.
Like the future.
By harboring resentment
and anger
over hurts
real or imagined.
By disdaining the ordinary
or, rather, what I
so mindlessly
call ordinary.
By concern over what’s in it for me,
rather than what’s in me
for it.
By failing to appreciate what is
because of might-have-beens,
should-have-beens,
could-have-beens.
These are some of the ways
I kill time.
Jesus didn’t kill time.
He gave life to it.
His own.
—Leo Rock SJ
From Hearts on Fire: Praying with Jesuits
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks, I needed this prayer this morning.
Whew! I needed to hear that today!
Good one! It hit the right spot. >.<
Thanks for this prayer. It remember us that Time is a very beautiful gift by God
This prayer changed my whole sense of direction for the day ahead. It encouraged me to think of what life I can bring to the day and I realized the only life I can bring to it will be available to the extent I am living in Christ–attached to the Vine. My great temptation each day is to think it’s all up to me. What a folly!
Our pastor read this poem during his homily today; it touched a place in my heart and I pray that it will touch many others who hear it this weekend.