“Lord, teach us to use wisely all the time we have.” ~ Psalm 90:12
Joaquin returned to his tiny fishing village earlier than normal. He had made a good catch. Now he gazed in awesome wonder as the sun finally pushed into sight, a sliver at the edge of the world. Someone stood watch at the pier.
He’d seen the type before – sharply creased khakis, opulent wristwatch, Italian shoes worth ten times more than his small fishing boat. Probably vacationing at the resort – definitely bored already.
“How’d you fare mate?” Chandler shouted.
“Well done,” Chandler complimented, "How long were you at sea today?” "Only, a few hours," replied Joaquin casually. "If ya stayed out longer, you could catch more fish?" Chandler quipped.
Joaquin smiled warmly, “This is more than enough to support my family." Besides, he continued, “It gives me more time to play with my children, tend my garden, and siesta with my wife. I take time for my friends, and my guitar, and my church,” he ended proudly.
Chandler interrupted, "You fool! I can help you earn profits beyond your dreams. Start fishing more hours each day; sell all the extra fish you catch. With the additional cash, buy a bigger boat. Use the added money a larger boat will bring, and buy a second boat, then another, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats."
“It gets better!” Chandler was ‘reeling’ him in now, like he’d done so many times before with his bank’s clients. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman - sell directly to the processor, or maybe open your own cannery. Eventually, you could control the product, processing and distribution. Once you leave this ‘Podunk’ village, you could move to L.A. or New York where you could expand your business even faster."
A tad confused, Joaquin asked, "How long will this take?"
After rapid mental calculation, Chandler declared, "About 15-20 years, maybe less if you work really hard. But here’s the best part, Chandler snickered arrogantly, “At the right time, I’ll help you sell your company stock to the public and we’ll make millions!"
"Honestly? What would I do with at that?" Joaquin questioned in disbelief.
"You retire!” boasted Chandler. “With all that loot, you could move to a quaint coastal village where you could sleep late, play with your grandchildren, tend your garden and siesta with your wife. At night, you could stroll to the village, play guitar and sing with your friends till the wee hours."
Joaquin’s response was thoughtfully simple. “Who’s the fool, I have that already. Someday sir, I hope that you’ll have the chance to live like you were dying.”
My God, help me live with a greater sense of urgency - more about today, less about tomorrow; more about people, less about possessions; more about Your priorities, less about mine. Amen.
