I walked through the two automatic glass doors and headed for the information desk. There was a line, so I patiently waited until I got to the front, and the receptionist smiled and said “may I help you”? I handed her the piece of mail with the summons on it as she looked it over and said um-hmm, you are going to need to go to the third floor for this one. She then directed me toward the bank of elevators to the left and said “next”, indicating our conversation was clearly over. I waited in a large crowd of people as the elevator doors opened and we shuffled inside. I looked around a large man in denim to see if someone had pushed the button for the third floor, and was happy to see the button glowed. After a stop on floor two where three more people got on, we came to floor three and I squeezed past the large man in denim to free myself from the crowd. I stepped out into the hallway and strode to another line, which led to a desk with another receptionist under a large sign that read ”processing”.
After a wait, this receptionist informed me that I needed to see Mr. Romley, and that I would be called from a waiting room to the left of her desk. I frowned as I went off without another word and sat in a chair as instructed. I had not been there for any more than five minutes when a tall young lady opened a door and called my name. She smiled nicely and said right this way as she held the door for me. She led me down a long hallway to a room on the right and introduced me to Mr. Romley, a middle aged smallish man with receding hair behind a desk. He smiles, shakes my hand and asks me to sit please, and asks me if I would like a cup of coffee, and I thank him, but decline.
Mr. Romley wastes no time and gets right to the heart of the matter, Mr. Travis, the reason you have been summoned is that you are being audited. We have compiled a report with data we have recovered from your records and I would like to go over the data with you to confirm we have our facts right before we take any further action, do you understand? I nod that I do, and he plunges forward. He shuffles some papers, and settles on one that he reads from as he adjusts his readers on his nose and clears his throat. Mr. Travis, can you confirm that you are sixty years of age, he says as I nod and say “that’s correct”. He says he will be reading the numbers beginning with the big ticket ones, and would like me to stop him at any time if there is a discrepancy as I agree. He says, we have you down for 175,200 hours of sleep during your lifespan, and 104,000 hours of employment at 50 hours a week for 40 years as I nod. I have you for 50,050 hours of television at 2.5 hours a day for 55 years and 32,400 hours of eating during the lifespan as he looks up to me for accuracy and I nod. He then smiles and says he has me down for 5460 hours of golf at six hours twice a month for 35 years as I smile and nod, reflecting on the fond memories. He then shuffles some papers and says that is the last of the big ticket items, as the cut off is 5400 hours, we will now be focusing on the petty hours from here on out.
The next entry is a tie, I have a total of 5200 hours of church attendance beginning with my baptism at the age of ten, two hours a week. There is actually a generous allowance on that time as it was just averaged, and the times I played hooky to watch a game or go fishing are not accounted for. He looks to me for acceptance as I feel my face getting hot. He then says he has the same amount, 5200 hours in actual communication with my wife also. I object and say he must be wrong as he looks it over and says no, it has been verified. Moving on he says I have 4000 hours actual communication with my children, once again, generously averaged as I begin to protest again, then sink back into my chair. He then reports that I have 1320 hours praying to God 5 minutes a day for 55 years, once again, and I interrupt and say ”let me guess, generously averaged, right”, to which he nods. I have one hour a month reading the Bible over a fifty year span for a total of 600 hours, generously averaged. He then announces that is the last of the petty hours, the last category is “scrap” hours, and there are only two entries. He has 67 hours of “sowing God’s seed, and a total of 11 hours over my lifetime helping the homeless. He looks up to me for verification, and I can barely see him through the water in my eyes, yet I nod anyway. I then ask him why I am being audited, and he looks at a sheet with a yellow post- it on the front, and says “It looks like this one came directly from Christ Himself” as he begins to place the forms back into a folder. Realizing the gravity of how I have chosen to spend my time over this life, a feeling of defeat comes over me as the tears come and I place my head in my hands. I realize I am lost, there will be no afterlife of Heaven for someone who has wasted his life as I have as I weep openly. Mr. Romley hands me a tissue and says he can wait a moment until I get myself back together before we continue and I say it is fine, please continue. He then opens a drawer and removes an envelope of nice stationary, with an ornate crimson wax seal at the fold and hands it across the desk to me. Upon closer inspection it is stamped with the image of a lion. I break the seal and open the letter inside, and it has one short sentence on it. “To the one I love, you have been purchased with My blood”.
I open my eyes and realize I have been dreaming and know instantly that while it was a dream, it was NOT just a dream, but a message. Time is our greatest commodity, and where we invest our time indicates what we consider to be our treasure.
Matthew 6:21 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
God Bless
JFT
So powerful, Jim. And so true. What a perfect reminder to me to spend my time for Him, with Him. Thank you for your amazing story-telling gift. It rivets and holds. God bless you! deb
Thanks Deb,
It was scary calculating things up and averaging the amount of time we spend on things. TV for instance, oh man! TV for most falls right behind your total hours employed and in front of eating-wow. This was something about which I can truly say, ignorance is bliss. But we need to know, we need to audit. God Bless
Jim
Jim, When I got online this morning I went first to my blog and was about to go to your blog and read what you wrote. But instead I went to Facebook and played 3 games of Farkle, while watching TV. Then I came back and read this! Talk about convicting. But I love the letter sealed with the Lord’s own seal. Thanks for sharing this great lesson. Peace, Linda
Hi Linda,
I know how easy it is to get wrapped up in things that take our time away. We all do it with something, some with sports, some with the computer, some with work. Believe me, when I started averaging these things up, it was alarming. Thanks for your comments always.
God Bless, Jim
Yipes! Thanks for the exhortation…I needed it.
Haha, yes Larry, we all do from time to time. God Bless
Jim
Jim,
I’m back reading your blog after weeks courtesy my greatly disorganized life. Thank you for sharing this message today. It is a double whammy for me. This morning, I was reminded about being idle in 2 Thessallonians 3 and now you. Thank you! I needed the wake up call.
Blessings,
Vineet
PS: Happy Independence Day!!!
Hi Vineet,
Glad to have you back. sometimes we all need a wake up call, I know I do frequently. Hope all is well with you and yours. God Bless
Jim
Jim,
All is well and so is the family.
Blessings,
Vineet