wine

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some
items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up
a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with
golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed
that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and
poured them into the jar.

He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it
into the Jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else He asked once
more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under
the table and poured the entire contents into the jar,
effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want
you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health,
your friends, and your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost
and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else; the small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

>>>

The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner
out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that
no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple
of glasses of wine with a friend."

This story really calls me to wake up to what life is and to the reality that priorities need to be set in place. It is so easy to get caught up with the 'sand' in life - so much so until there is no time and no room for the important golf balls and rocks.
Stories like this always seem to come at the right time for me... just as I am filling my world with too much sand... I hear the call to 'be still and know'

I have found that I have allowed my life to get so busy at times that I have neglected relationships, family time, and time with the lover of my soul. People are what is going to last. Nobody is going to remember what I did on any given day... but people will remember who I was each day... am I loving, caring, compassionate, full of mercy and grace... have I laid down my life for another today? How did I show people that they were important, How did I affect the world? Am I becoming who I need to be?