“Because to every purpose there is time..., therefore the misery of man is great upon him.” Ecclesiastes 8: 6

We are in a very accelerated modern society when it comes to time. The days, weeks and months pass by so quickly. It is amazing to see how fast time is advancing. It is very common nowadays to listen very often to the following expressions: I do not have enough time! I do not have time to spare!

In this modern society in which we find ourselves, mainly here in the United States, a large amount of people channel many of their hours into work. They leave early in the morning and return late at night; they arrive so tired, that they only want to eat something, bathe and go straight to bed, to gather strength for the next day's journey. Usually, this is an everyday routine.

This typical situation affects marriages and families. There is no time for family life. This routine does not help enrich our marriages and families. At this moment as I write this article, an experience of a father who didn’t have time for his family comes to mind. This father had a young son who would asked him to play ball every day and usually it was when the father was going to work.The dad's response was always, "I do not have time son, I need to go to my work." After giving him this answer, he would give him an allowance to compensate him for the time he couldn’t give him. This situation was repeated every day. After several months, one morning the young son intercepted the father who was leaving for work and told him:“Daddy, I want you to stay with me today”. The father’s response came quickly and with a tone of impatience he said: I can’t son! Can’t you see I have to go to work? Can’t you see that we need money to maintain this house? After hearing these comments, the child asked the father, “Daddy, how much money do you earn per day at work?” This question baffled the father and after a few seconds he told him the salary he made per day. Then the little boy quickly pulled out a piggy bank that he kept in his room and gave it to the father. Then he told him,“you know, I've been saving all the money you gave me, and I think there's a lot more in this piggy bank than you earn per day at work. I want you not to go to work today. I'll pay you so you're free and you can dedicate it to me. Do you accept my proposal? tell me yes! please! At that moment, the father was speechless and only looked at his little son, and tears began to roll down his cheeks. He knelt before him, hugged him and asked him to forgive him, promising that he would do everything possible to dedicate time to him each day. This was a great lesson that he never forgot, and that made him react positively.

This illustration reminds us of the parable that Jesus taught of the rich foolish man (Luke 12: 16-20), who only had time to work, work and work. Finally, he would die without enjoying everything he had accumulated. He did not have time for his wife, nor for his children, nor even for himself. And the saddest thing, he did not have time for God either.

The Spirit of Prophecy gives us the following contribution in this regard:“Give some of your leisure hours to your children; associate with them in their work and in their sports and win their confidence. Cultivate their friendship.Let parents devote the evenings to their families. Lay off care and perplexity with the labors of the day.” The Adventist Home, page 192

Let’s remember the text at the beginning of the reading: "“Because to every purpose there is time..., therefore the misery of man is great upon him.” Ecclesiastes 8: 6

No matter how much work a man has, he should always set aside time for family priorities. Some marriage counselors call it "quality time." Quality time is the moment where we connect and coexist with the family, forgetting any commitments with others. It must be like a sacred time that he dedicates to his family.

By Ciro Arévalo