By Rob Pue
October 5, 2025
As I compile this message, the month of October is knocking on the door, and we’ll soon be in the midst of it. The older I get, the faster time seems to speed past. Living here in Wisconsin, we value our spring, summer and even our fall months very highly. Because we know January is coming. There’s no stopping it.
Today as I write, the weather outside is beautiful. Warm, bright and sunny. The leaves are starting to turn color, but the peak time for viewing the spectacular colors of fall is still a few weeks away. We just had a couple weeks of cold and rainy weather when it seemed like summer had turned to winter overnight. My wife, always the encourager, reminded me that those precious Indian Summer days would come, and now they’re here. But still, I know… January is coming.
I’m always busy, which is both a blessing and a curse. Those who know me have described me as “driven,” “focused,” “intense,” “hard-working.” I guess those things are true, but there’s so much work to be done, all the time, every day. For me, it seems to be non-stop. If I want a day off, I need to schedule it — and be diligent to stick to that schedule no matter what. And I need to schedule it weeks, and sometimes months, in advance. I’m grateful for the work God has given me to do. I’m grateful for every opportunity to share His Word and His truths. And we need to remember that sometimes, we only get one opportunity, just one encounter with someone, to do that.
I don’t grow weary in “well doing,” but I do get tired, especially the older I get. I should take time to rest more often. I should make taking breaks a priority, but there’s always so much to be done…and then so much more to be done. So much more I would like to do. But I need to accept that I don’t have to do everything, that I realistically can’t do everything, and that even Jesus took breaks, just as His Father commanded us to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
In my younger days, when we were raising our children, I always made sure we took time for a summer vacation as a family. Since we never had much money, all of our vacations were camping trips, where we could put our tent up on a campsite for $5 a night. It was $10 if we wanted a really nice campground with clean showers. Those were always wonderful adventures and our family has precious memories of those days.
I was a photographer then, with my own studio, where I created professional portraits of babies, children, high school seniors, family groups and wedding parties. When we went on those camping adventures to new places, I also enjoyed photographing the beauty of God’s creation. One particular instance remains with me, more than thirty years later.
We were staying at a campground in Upper Michigan, and enjoying the stunning beauty of the Great Lakes shores. During the day, we’d go swimming in the frigid waters, hike remote trails, climb rocks and hills, discover hidden waterfalls, and I’d photograph some amazing, awesome views. One evening, the sunset was particularly spectacular. I must have gone through fifteen rolls of film, while my wife and kids played nearby on the beach, the water lapping at the shoreline…the spectacular colors as the sun set beneath the waves out on the horizon.
We were all greatly blessed to see what God had created for us that evening, and I was looking forward to returning to that same spot the next night, to try some different photographic techniques. But it was late summer on this particular camping trip. That day had been perfect. Bright sunny skies, the perfect temperature and no bugs. I assumed I’d get another chance the next night to create more beautiful photographs of that area, but I was wrong. We woke up in the morning to steady drizzle, temperatures in the 50s and dropping. By the time we’d packed up our campsite, the rain had turned to a downpour and I knew I’d had my one and only chance to capture the beauty of that area the night before.
We still have a large, framed print of one of those beautiful scenes hanging over the fireplace in our home today. It was a day all of us will remember forever, and one that would never come again. Although we returned to the same area in later years, conditions were never so perfect as they were on that one night. Sometimes, you only get one chance.
Time is, indeed, fleeting. And our lives here on this earth, even if we live to be 100, are but a mere vapor. Today, as we head into the months of autumn, I look back at the summer that has now passed, and wish I’d made more of it. If you live in Wisconsin, you know just how precious our summers here are, because just like raising a family, the children grow up and are out of the nest so quickly.
I also remember the day Lisa and I moved our youngest daughter into her dorm room at Bible College, lingering as long as we could before heading out on the four-hour drive home. I cried when we left, knowing that our time of raising children had officially passed. All our kids were now grown, out on their own, and we were empty nesters. The time flew by so fast. I wanted so badly to start over and do it all over again. Not that I had any regrets. We raised our kids right. Their childhoods were good; we made sure of that. We made memories together that will last all of our lifetimes. But I wasn’t ready for it to end when it did.
For everything, there is a season and a new one began for us as empty-nesters. It felt strange at first, but we adapted quickly enough. Now, we’re grandparents and enjoying our grandkids as often as we’re able to see them. But even they are growing up so quickly. In only eight years, our oldest grandson be grown up. Seems like only yesterday when he was born.
Today, I find myself wishing I’d taken more time to enjoy the warm summer nights we had just a few weeks ago… when it stayed light out until nearly 10 pm. I wish I’d taken the time to enjoy and appreciate all the sunny days and perfect evenings with star-filled skies. We could’ve had campfires in our back yard, we could have watched the sunsets together, and then held hands on our patio swing, gazing at the stars together. Unfortunately, we didn’t. With very few exceptions, I worked through the whole thing, often finding myself too worn out to stay up much past 7 at night. Yeah, I went to bed early, exhausted after a long day, only to start again at sunrise (or before) the next day. And now, summer is past, and I find myself very aware that January is coming. The sun goes down before 7 now and each day is getting shorter than the one before.
I’ve mentioned January because it’s a month we tend to dread where I live, and it seems to last longer than any of the others. It’s not uncommon for us to have weeks where the temperatures are below zero, every day. It gets dark early, and although the days are short, they seem to drag on forever. Sometimes it’s too cold to even snow, but of course, we also deal with plenty of that all winter. I like snow for Christmas, but after that, it’s just a constant curse until it finally melts in April or May.
Meanwhile, you still need to go out and do things. My work includes a lot of driving and working outside and that doesn’t just stop for winter. Life and work goes on, but winter can be miserable. The cold freezes your bones. Your shoes get soaked, walking through the snow. You can spend hours shoveling out your driveway, only to have the city snow plow come through and create a solid wall of ice and snow at the end of it, so you have to go chip away at it again, the best you can. And those weeks of sub-zero temperatures. I now understand why many people my age live here in the summer and move to a warmer climate in the winter months.
Summertime in Wisconsin is wonderful, but like our lives here on this earth, it’s fleeting. It goes by so fast. Unless you determine to make the most of it, you’re going to end up missing the whole thing before you know it. You need to be intentional about making time for the things that matter most. If you’re a young parent, I encourage you to make the most of every day with your little children — while they’re little and as they grow up, because those days will be gone before you know it. Life can get busy, challenging and downright hard. There are countless demands on our time — something we have only a limited supply of. But cherish those days. There will always be burdens to carry in life, but know that your spouse and your children are not among them. They’re not burdens, they’re blessings. And as we all learn, once the kids are grown, there’s no going back and doing it all over again. You only get one chance to do life right.
Don’t squander your time, focusing all your efforts on work. Of course, we all need to work and our Heavenly Father has given each of us good work to do. But let your work be a blessing, not a curse. As I’m learning, you do that by intentionally carving out time in your life, in your daily routine, to spend wisely — appreciating the bounty and blessings all around you. No matter your situation, if you look, you’ll find you’re surrounded by blessings that God has provided, and that He wants you to enjoy and appreciate.
Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” And just as we need to be careful to number our days and use our time wisely, investing our greatest efforts into our loved ones and those around us in our communities, while at the same time, taking time to enjoy and thank God for the bountiful blessings He’s given us, we need to also remember that just like the passing seasons, this earth has an expiration date.
There will come a day when our Savior’s offer of eternal life with Him will come to an end. There will come a day of judgment for all who dwell on the earth. All will stand before Him. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And we’ll be judged and rewarded — each according to their works. So it’s vital that we invest each day into things of eternal significance, and follow His commandments to “go therefore” and seek and save the lost and perishing. We need to secure our own salvation, get trained up for the work of the ministry, and then go into all the world, boldly and courageously with the Good News of our redemption. We must not neglect our reasonable service. Romans 13:11, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.”
And also, Ephesians 5:15, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore, be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
I guess what I’m saying is, be mindful of the time. Today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow may never come for you. Today may be your only opportunity. And if tomorrow does come, use it wisely — and every day that follows. Don’t lose yourself in the cares of this world, even if those cares include ministry work, because even those who minister need — yes, need — time to rest, refresh, restore and renew — appreciating and soaking in the many blessings we’ve been given, thanking God for each one.
Each day is precious. Each breath we take is precious. But time speeds on, relentlessly and, if you’re not careful, you’re going to miss out on those things that are most important.
Yes, we must work, provide, protect and care for our loved ones. We must also be about our Father’s business, obeying His commands, seeking and doing His will every day. But part of doing His will is taking time to appreciate all our blessings and thanking Him for every opportunity and every circumstance in each passing day. We’re so blessed. Don’t miss that. Don’t wear yourself out. Count your blessings, enjoy them and thank God. Because time is fleeting. And January is coming.
© 2025 Rob Pue – All Rights Reserved
E-Mail Rob Pue: robatwcn@icloud.com
