How do you spend time?

By Del Duduit

Time.

Compared to the riches of the world like fancy cars, enormous mansions and gadgets that will do practically anything desired with a few spoken words, time is the most precious, and wasted, of all commodities.

You cannot replace it like a new sofa or a computer. Once the moment has passed, it’s gone and is irreversible.

Time is relentless and is an indefinite progression of existence and events.

It’s valuable. Priceless. We need to make the best of it.

We spend it without thinking and truly knowing the worth of each tick tock on the clock. It’s wasted in front of television, and on smart phones and social media.

When people donate this personal treasure to a worthy cause, what do you get in return?

My wife and I volunteered at The Night to Shine sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation a few months ago. We didn’t anticipate the wonderful emotional and spiritual return on our investment, but we are much richer now.

I pulled my tuxedo out of my closet, and my wife dawned a beautiful black dress so we could shine shoes for two hours of time to make the attendees look perfect for the special-needs prom in Huntington W.V.

When the night ended, our cups were full, and our hearts shone brighter than the shoes we labored over.

“It’s going to affect you just as much as you are going to affect them,” Tim Tebow recently told me in Columbus, Ohio before the Syracuse Mets took on the Columbus Clippers. “It’s amazing in Gods economy when we go and serve and give our time, that we are more fulfilled than we would be by doing anything else.”

People in the Huntington community rallied around this event, and hundreds of special guests were treated to a magical night where they walked the red carpet and were made to feel like they were Number One for a few hours.

“It doesn’t always make sense trying to be able to give to, and love people that a lot of the world hasn’t loved,” Tim said. “But it does something to us, and that’s why it’s my favorite night of the year, because it’s hundreds of thousands of people coming together to celebrate God’s love for humanity.”

On February 8, 2018, across the nation, 200,000 volunteers made sure that more than 100,000 guests were treated like kings and queens for at least one night.

The goal of Night to Shine is to bring faith, hope, and love to brighten the day for these individuals in their darkest hour of need.

We all have an identity that God gave us, and we are all unique.

Tim Tebow

Tim has an unusual platform and takes advantage of his celebrity status to help make this program such a success.

“I try not to let it get in the way, because I play hard and compete and work on my craft,” he said. “There are pros and cons that come with it, and I learned that a long time ago. I have to answer more questions from the media, and I have demands on my time, and that’s okay because I also get to see kids in hospitals who want to meet me. That is awesome, and it’s something that I would not have without this platform. I am grateful that I have a chance to make someone feel special.”

Time.

Tim makes sure his is well spent on playing baseball and making others happy.

“We all have an identity that God gave us, and we are all unique,” he said. “I love seeing the kids smile, and I’m grateful that they want to meet me. They are just as important in God’s eyes than I am to them.”

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Consider putting the phone away or thinking twice about watching a movie for the eighth time, and instead, volunteer to help a worthy cause, or visit someone in need. Give your time.

It will be an investment well spent, and you will be more impacted emotionally and spiritually than you ever have been before.

Life is about giving to others and putting your needs last.

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4: 8 KJV)

For more information on the Tim Tebow Foundation, visit the website https://www.timtebowfoundation.org/

Del Duduit is an award-winning writer and author who lives in Lucasville, Ohio with his wife, Angie. They attend Rubyville Community Church. Follow his blog at delduduit.com/blog and his Twitter @delduduit. He is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary Agency.

His latest book, Dugout Devotions: Inspirational Hits from MLB’s Best – can be purchased from New Hope Publishers here, or on Amazon here