My Son's Annoying Gift

One of my sons got me the gift of an old-school date display for my desk. It has a black base with gold bracing, with three metal rings like key rings that display the month and day.

Although I instantly liked the look of it on my desk, I didn’t particularly like having to change it. I seems like whenever I sit down, the date is wrong. It is as if I unconsciously expect the date to change automatically like my phone and my computer. Even my television and my car update without me having to do anything. But now I must take the time to physically turn each tab going through the month, first digit of the day 0, 1, 2, or 3, and then the second digit 0 through 9.

Sometimes, the date is wrong by 3 or 4 days. Didn’t I just change this yesterday? I think to myself.

But something sneaked into my thoughts today that ended up catching me by surprise: How many days slip by without my full presence? Without me being intentional?

Psalm 90:12 Moves us to ask God to “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Numbering our days means we consider each one, weighing what is important and being wise in how we use it.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t block out time that is dedicated to rest, recovery, or other such pursuits. What it does mean is we should be targeted and strategic with our time.

Each day is a gift with no guarantee of another coming behind it. Going forward, instead of being annoyed I will be reminded of this each time I sit down and must reach forward to adjust the date on my desk display. It’s a tactile reminder that time is passing, and I need to make the most of it.