“If only we could have known in our younger days what the years have taught us!” It’s an age-old wish that I would surmise has been said with a sigh by a multitude of “seniors.” Some-times we might think the song “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” could describe a lot of our pasts. 

Parenting would be on my list of re-dos. I’m extremely thankful to my Heavenly Father for giving us two children that survived their childhoods with no major conflicts or repercussions, but I could have done so much more. Staying steeped in God’s Word for counsel and direction as a parent would have enhanced their childhood. I read my Bible but not with the total realization that I was reading foundational life truths.  

I would never have earned the Good Housekeeping award, but looking back, I would have ignored some of the dust and sticky kitchen floors to spend more time in the backyard when they were playing. I tried teaching them about the adventures pulsing between book covers, but I would have stopped some of the daily chores to read more, tell more Bible stories and encourage more memorization of Bible verses for their future strength.

As parents, we would rank in the top ten for never missing a sporting event or activity in which our kids were participants. We were always cheering them on or balancing a recorder on my shoulder or scrubbing grass stains out of uniforms or sitting through extremely long recitals.

Those were noteworthy as parents, but that often left less time for the eternal things of life, the things that time couldn’t erase. In our children’s youth, we were blessed to have sporting schedules that didn’t conflict with Sunday worship or church activities. Those days are gone. Now parents are pressured to team-support seven days a week, if the schedules call for it.

Our kids’ athletic awards aren’t to be found and a scant few of those cute little uniforms, high school and college jerseys are probably being kept until their kids have to place them in a “give away” pile. We just didn’t understand the value of eternal time enough as young parents. I’m thankful for any and all spiritual investments we made in our kids, but if I could do it over … You know what I’m thinking.

My list of time re-dos would extend into an extremely long list, and if made, would probably dump me into a pit of depression. However, the Lord recently brought to my attention that which seemed to address my despair of time usage. The disciple Peter penned it, “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years.” As I pondered it I realized another miraculous ability on God’s part — to extend or diminish time.

As a youth I saw life as a thousand years stretching in front of me; now I see one day at a time — relishing each one with “mature” value. In our “one” days, we have extended opportunities to pour into our beloved grands and tell Bible stories to our great-grands. See what I mean about the treasures in God’s Word.

Camille Anding, The Daily Leader,  P. O. Box 551, Brookhaven, MS 39602.