(We welcome our Church Music Director, Ron Orallo, as guest writer of the Ponderings for this week. Read, reflect, be challenged.)
Fall semester 2013 has probably been one of the most difficult semesters I have ever experienced. I imagine my last three semesters at William Jessup to be no different. It was not just school itself but a mixture of everything else going on in my life. The days during the week were reserved for school responsibilities and then the weekends were reserved for church responsibilities. Then there were the responsibilities I had for my relationship with my family and also my relationships [with] others. Then on top of all of that is my faith and devotion to God. These divisions in my life have often clashed with each other throughout this semester and have often caused either area to receive whatever time I had left to give (which was not much). But should these different areas in my life be separate from each other?
In my attempt to give all these responsibilities equal amount of time, my strategies never seemed to work. Each area in my life had its own pros and cons. I often asked myself, “Have I spread myself too thin?” I am not sure if I have an answer to that question. All I know is that it seems I do not have enough time to give to each area equally—Praise God for winter break to spend more time in the Word and prayer.
Above all of these responsibilities, however, I remember Jesus Christ. Nick, an old Resident Director of the Dormitory, told me that Christ had the same amount of time each day that we have now. Christ never used His status to extend the hours of the day. (Jesus is perfect after all. Surely He can do everything he had to in a day’s worth). Nick’s statement convicted me. I do what I think is important but then later I face the consequences from the areas (ministry, family, friends) that did not receive enough time. Have I spread myself too thin? Maybe. Maybe not. Do I prioritize my time and handle my responsibilities in a God-honoring way? Hopefully this winter break will serve me well.
—Ronald Orallo