Whose time is it, anyway?

Time management continues to be one of those dragons that we are all constantly battling yet never able to tame. The battle has made a lot of money for some of the people who have great ideas on how to fight it. As I am constantly trying to better manage “my” time, a great question from my Monsignor last Sunday hit me like a two-by-four to the forehead:

Whose time it is, anyway?

None of us chose when we were born (If we could, it would be a tough call - do I choose 1918 so I could grow up and fly Corsairs or Mustangs in WWII? Nah, I’d probably choose 1963 so I could grow up and meet Jill). And as one of my dear friends who has lost more than his share of loved ones says about death, “You don’t get to chose when and you don’t get to chose how.”

So is “our time” really ours?

I choose to believe there is a higher power that decided when I would be born and that I do not have much say in when my time will end. I am good with that. The assisted suicide legislation going through the Colorado legislature is troubling because it is transferring a divine process to human beings. And no matter the argument, us humans are flawed. Pardon the pun, but I hope this legislation dies a quick death.

I have compassion for those who are suffering and looking for a way to end the pain for themselves and their families. However, taking control of that is removing the possibility of a miracle. I understand in a lot of cases a miracle is nearly impossible, and the pain can be unthinkable, but should not we at least give God the opportunity for a miracle and have faith that He knows what He is doing?

My mother suffered with cancer for years. It robbed her of her treasured hair, her weight, her breathing and just about every other physical function. It was very hard on her and my father to fight it every day. There was anger, frustration and bitterness, but never once was there talk, consideration or desire to step in and find a way to end her life with some man-made means. There was always another treatment to try or drug to take - not to artificially extend her life, but because there was faith that even if the chance was one in a hundred trillion, the Lord was certainly capable of making lightning strike as a miracle. In the end, lightning did not strike and Mom was at peace that her fight was finally over as she gasped her last breaths.

Every day, every hour, every minute is a gift to be treasured. “Our time” is not a give from the government, so let us hope our elected officials do not treat it that way.

Recommendation: "American Sniper"

This is an incredibly powerful film that is well made. As jarring as "Saving Private Ryan" for the emotions it stirs. The battle scenes are edge-of-your-seat tense. There are not overt politics in the movie, it was more of an illustration of what our combat servicemen face and what they have to deal with as survivors psychologically when they return. Brilliant acting from Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller.