Time offers a unique perspective. With it, we can see our aspirations clearly, if only in hindsight. It is a strange paradox. In the present, the perspective is never there. One may see more clearly with experience in the moment at hand, however I find that the broader context is always missing.
The announcement caught me off-guard. A company that recently struggled through a significant transition and failing to start a second one is considering embarking on a third. Having been involved in the first two, I cannot imagine why anyone would think that the third is a good idea. I can hear the pitch. I can see the happy faces wrapped in belief. The part I struggle with is the reflective response that ends in an endorsement.
The ability to look at the announcement with the benefit of time opens the window to a reflective question. Will I use time to my advantage? I know multiple avenues come with time, friends, and reflection. Knowing that there is a season for each decision, will I slow down enough to see more clearly?
Centuries ago, a writer noted a rhetorical observation. “We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!” (1 Corinthians 13.12)
His generation struggled to come to grips with the benefits of insights. I find that I am in a boat with many others. Life’s rush keeps pushing us along a path and the immediate. Lessons and change are avoided in the grasp for next. Decisions are avoided when it is time to make them. Opportunities to see with greater clarity are squandered.
The invitation to be in the moment is always here. I may not have any influence in how others respond. I can learn from their actions. Reflection will open a door to growth. I will take time for both today.
