Sheryl Brady - I'm Running a Little Behind

Look to your neighbor on the right and say, «Neighbor, neighbor, uh, I’m going to get there. I’m going to get there, but I’m running a little behind—I’m a little behind.» Turn to your other neighbor and say, «Neighbor, neighbor, I’m going to get there, but I’m running a little behind.» Yeah, I’m just telling you this because I want you to be aware that if I do something crazy, I can’t help it—I’m running a little behind, and I have some things to make up for. So, I’m going to get there, but I’m running a little behind. Bless your word today, God, and we thank you for it in Jesus' name. Amen.

You may be seated today in the presence of the Lord. It’s so good to see you all in the house of God today; everybody looks wonderful. Thank God for this house. In Ecclesiastes 3:1, the writer says something that we have heard. If you’ve been in the church for any length of time, I’m sure you have heard this verse because it’s very familiar. It says, «To everything, there is a season and a time for every purpose under the heaven.» Reading that makes me immediately understand that there is a correlation between seasons, timing, and purpose. To everything, there is a season; there is a time for every purpose that is under heaven.

So, seasons, reasons, timing, and purpose all have a correlation right there, for without time, we would have no real respect or appreciation for purpose. There’s something about knowing that you have an appointment that makes you more aware of time. Can you say «Amen» to that right there? Knowing that you need to be at a certain place at a certain time really does help us. Some of us are still a little late, but we’re working on it, so don’t judge us right now. When you know you have to be at a specific place at a certain time, you don’t just lollygag or drag your feet; you don’t roam and ramble, and you don’t waste your whole day messing around because you know you have an appointment to keep. So, when you have an appointment, it enables you to prioritize and appropriate your time and to realize that life really does move. If I don’t seize the day, I won’t have the day because life waits for nobody.

I cannot overemphasize to you how precious the gift of time really is; it’s one of the greatest treasures that you and I are able to possess. After you’ve lived for a little while, you begin to understand that with every sunset, you are running out of time. It is amazing to me when I think about how fast this year has already gone by. I feel like we were just making plans for our New Year’s Eve service last year, and here we are—it is just flying by! After you’ve lived for a few moments, you start to realize how fast time is moving. You don’t realize that at first when you’re young and full of strength; you think you will always be young and have all kinds of strength. So, at first, you don’t really realize that, but the longer you live, the more you become aware of the fact that time is changing. Your youth is just like your life; it is a vapor. I promise you, if you live long enough, there will be a day you jump up from your chair thinking you’re going to run somewhere. Come on, anyone know what I’m talking about? One day, you will go to stand up, and your knees will remind you of all the years you made them carry that extra weight!

For years, if you keep living—my eye doctor said to me many, many years ago, «Miss Brady, trust me when I tell you this—it won’t be long until one of the first things you reach for in the morning will be your glasses.» I didn’t even wear glasses then, and I thought, «Okay, thank you, Lord.» If she wasn’t telling nothing but the truth! I look for my glasses sometimes; they are in bed with me because I keep them on until the very last minute. Sometimes, I fall asleep with them on, and sometimes, the bishop reaches over and places them on his nightstand because I’ve ruined a few pairs of glasses sleeping with them. But the truth of the matter is, life is costing us our time—yes, life is costing us our time.

There’s something about running out of time that invokes an urgency about what you have. Have you ever overslept? You know that feeling when you wake up and think, «Oh my God, what time is it?» It has you rushing; it can even make you panic sometimes because you are running late. Had you gotten up earlier, as you planned, you could have had your coffee, you could have had your breakfast, you could have caught up on the day’s news, but it’s too late for all that now because while you were sleeping, the clock just kept…