On Time

I have to tell myself on Sunday mornings that we need to be in the van by 11am. Church starts at 11:30, and it takes exactly 12 minutes to get there. By telling myself we need to get into the van by 11am, and hearding 4 little girls and myself and all our bags, books, snacks, and lunches into the vehicle for 11am, I am able to actually get to church on time 90% of the time.

Now, why cannot I do that with Seminary? I tell myself I need to leave for Seminary at 6:10 am. Seminary starts at 6:30 and it takes between 8-10 minutes to get there (depending on lights). It's closer, there's less traffic, and I only have myself and an overly-large bag of books to haul with me. I don't understand.

Maybe it's my inner self rebelling at the thought of going anywhere so early. Maybe it's the lack of light in the morning, or the cold. I know that part of it was because of the snow/frost/ice that was covering a vehicle- but even without it I still seem to be late.

It is also humbling because I have a student that beats me to seminary EVERY MORNING! Granted, he said he gets up at 4am, but still, shouldn't I be able to get there before him?

And, there's the other side. I finish on time (at 7:15 am) almost always. On the few times I have run over (by one or two minutes, and very rarely 5 min), I have apologized. I lose them at 7:15. I actually start to lose them a few minutes before that.

I don't blame them, tho'. I'm the SAME WAY! When we had in-service this last week ("teaching teachers how to teach") the teacher started going over time. I am expectant of this, and was prepared. I tried not to pack up my things as the hand almost reached the hour. I tried desperately not to start shuffling in my chair as the hand moved away from the top of the hour. I really tried to listen to the teacher's testimony, and to feel the spirit and feeling he was trying to convey. I really REALLY tried! But, at 7 minutes after, I gave up. Part of me was absolutely INCENSED that he thought his time was more precious (I showed up 12 minutes early and the room wasn't set up and I was the ONLY person there; he didn't even come into the room until 5 after, but he started in the next two minutes).

Now, really, is 10 minutes of my life that important? Does it really make that much of a difference?

Maybe. But I do know that his example reminded me of my own pins-and-needs feeling as the class officially was to end, and how I need to be more respectful of the time of my students, and start/finish on time. So, this week I have made it to Seminary on time two mornings, and started within 3 minutes of the hand hitting the 6 and finished as the had reached the 3.

What do you do to get to things on time? Is it harder with or without kids? Do you detest being early? or prefer to be the first or the late person there? What about church? Is there some incentive to get you to be on-time to something?