Off Topic

How often are we reminded of how short life truly is?
When we're busy, we so often forget... I put my family off, my wife, my life. I put God off until tomorrow because I'm working today.
Work is important... it's important to work, but at what point does work begin to take over my life in an unhealthy way? I'm not doing what I love, but I try to do my duty, to fulfill my obligation faithfully, to give of my best to my employer.
I feel like a slave to money, but it's my duty and I'm bound to it.
If today were the last day I had, would God know how much He meant to me? Would my wife Debra? Would my friends?
Do I know how much they mean to me, or do I take them for granted? Sometimes I feel like I'm sleeping through life, like my duty and my work has so numbed me to life that I've lost all sense of feeling, of wonder, of being alive. But it's what I'm supposed to be doing.
Responsibility can be a crushing, heartless thing if you follow it without sensitivity to others. It's to others that I am responsible, but if I discharge my duty without thinking or caring for those others, am I fulfilling my responsibility at all?
But how can I fulfill my duty and find the time to show the people I love, the people that are the reason I'm working, that I love them as well?
I'm not wise enough to know the answer to that... I've got to work! but, I ... have people I love, and I have things I want to do in my life, and I want to serve God, and sometimes I feel like I can't do any of that because work dominates everything else.
I hate that feeling, and I hate wishing that I had more time for the people I love. I hate wishing I had more time to spend with God.
It feels like I'm discharging a lesser duty and failing in the ones that count, but I can't get out of the job... We need the money, so what can I do?
I'm trapped.

Dear Father, I'm sorry for the many times I've failed to give You the time and the glory and the honor in my life. You deserve it; You deserve it always, but I feel like work is eating me up and I don't feel like I have anything left to give. Give me the love to show my love to the people I care about, the people You've given me to care about, and give me the strength to make time for them, even when I'm exhausted and don't feel like I have any time left. Give me the wisdom to know what's important in my life and the discernment to recognize the good thing to do and the good time to do it.
I'm so weak and so clumsy and so tired, Lord--I'm so tired!--and I need You so badly. Help me, my precious Lord! I love You and I want to serve You! Save me in my distress!

I lift up my eyes to the hills-
From where does my help come?
My help comes from Jehovah,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip;
He Who watches you will not slumber.
Indeed, He Who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
Jehovah watches over you--
Jehovah is your shade at your right hand;
The sun will not harm you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
Jehovah will keep you from all harm--
He will watch over your life;
Jehovah will watch over your coming and going
Both now and forevermore.
Psalm 121

Amen.