Ten Minutes

An old country song I often recount is “If You’ve Got Ten Minutes” by Joe Stampley.  I just love that old song. The song centers on the hope that with just ten minutes we could fall in love.  Some of you may have a testimony of love at first sight. It makes me think creatively about what I might actually be able to accomplish in just ten minutes. 

I often put off what actually only takes a few minutes.  One of the highlights of my week last week was a ten minute visit with my sister Ann.  We laughed and caught up on memories. Ann’s first comment when I arrived was, “Hey, do you remember Josh and Dani getting married?”  At the end of our visit, I did something I am not sure I have often done with Ann.  I asked her if I could pray with her.  She smiled and bowed her head.  As I prayed I watched a beautiful sight of my sister humbly bowed before her Father. In the rush of a busy week we often neglect things that take little time and effort.

Here is a short list of what may only take ten minutes:

• You can read the book of James in the Bible in ten minutes
• You can write a brief note to someone, address and stamp it and place in a mailbox in ten minutes
• You can call an old friend just to say, “I was thinking about you.”
• You can stop by an assisted living home and visit a resident—that might be your mother—for ten minutes
• You really can scrape ice off of a friend’s sidewalk in ten minutes—I promise
• You can scrape off the ice on the windows of your wife’s or children’s car in ten minutes
• You can stop and pray with a co-worker in ten minutes
• You can share the gospel message in ten minutes
• There are some jobs around the house that your wife has been asking you to do for six months that actually only take ten minutes
• You can unload and load the dishwasher in ten minutes
• You can make your husband’s day with a surprise snack bag and a note in his briefcase or backpack that says, “If you’ve got ten minutes, let’s fall in love!” and don’t forget the perfume
• You can send your spouse that favorite song from when you first started dating in a link with a special note that lists several reasons why you still would say ‘yes’ all over again
• You can make up your bed and pick up the clothes in your room without being asked

COACH/PJ