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I was in study hall. The biology essay I was supposed to be writing just wasn't happening. Oh, I'd written a few incoherent sentences and had a whole bunch of notes to work with. But I couldn't concentrate. All I could do was stare at the clock on the wall.

2:05.

In just 10 minutes another day in high school would be over, and I'd be one day closer to graduation. "The end of high school"—it seemed like it would never come. In fact, not long ago I thought I'd always be sitting in this study hall, or rushing from class to class, or doing yet one more biology paper. I was certain high school would last forever. But now, as I watched the clock, another minute passed, another moment gone.

I used to roll my eyes every time my mother would nag me about not wasting time. "Make the most of each day," she'd tell me. "Time flies!"

For the longest time, I had no idea what she was really talking about. Oh, sure, I knew I needed to get stuff done on time. And in recent months, I'd become pretty good at managing my time. But in my rush to get to the future, the present seemed to drag on endlessly. My impatience could be heard in the questions I pestered my parents with:

"Mommy, I wanna be like big brother! When do I get to go to school?"

"I'm tired of grade school! Why does junior high seem so far away?"

"I'm sick of junior high! Isn't eighth grade ever going to end?"

"Being an underclassman is so lame! When am I ever going to be a senior?!"

As I stared at that clock, I could easily answer that last question for myself: Now. But now was here and was soon going to be over.

2:10.

As I watched the day's last minutes come to an end, I realized, maybe for the first time in my life, time really is a precious thing. It passes so quickly.

Ephesians 5:15-16 puts it like this: "So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days" (NLT).

As I move on from high school to college (and beyond), I hope I will always do my best to make the most of each day and every opportunity God brings to me.

Mom was so right. Time really does fly, and I don't want to miss a thing by trying to rush the future.

When Rachel enters college this fall, she plans to study journalism, graphic arts and Spanish.

Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Campus Life.

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