I saw most of that TV movie. I found it very touching. I see it as not addressing spiritual concerns as much as interpersonal relations, though those spheres are related. Our relations with our loved ones (and the forgiveness sometimes necessary to maintain those loving relationships) are of vital importance - particularly when we realize the shortness of life. Yet that isn't usually what we spend most of our time and mental energy on in our day to day lives. We frequently act as if jobs or pasttimes or something else is more important than our families and loved ones.
I read something recently about time management and the setting of priorities. Seems a fellow billed as an expert on time management was giving a presentation to a group on that subject. He had a large glass jar and four green plastic containers. He began by taking from one container a number of large rocks and putting them into the glass jar. When he'd filled it, he asked the group if the jar was full. Everyone agreed the jar was full.
He then took another container and began pouring pea gravel into the glass jar, filling the spaces between the large rocks with gravel. Again he asked if the jar was full. This time some thought the jar was now full but some were catching on and said probably not.
He then took another container and began pouring sand into the large jar, filling the spaces between the gravel with sand. Once again he asked if the jar was full. By now everyone had caught on and agreed that though the jar certainly looked full, it probably wasn't.
He took his last container and poured water into the jar, finally filling all the spaces between the grains of sand. He then asked the group what lesson this demonstration taught? One person spoke up and said it taught that with proper and rigorous time management, you can make time in your life for everything.
He replied, "No, that wasn't the lesson at all." The real lesson, he said, was, "If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in later." Then he asked "What are the big rocks - the most important and vital things - in your life?" |
