Leap Day 2016

Leap Day 2016 | Misselainious blog

Today is leap day. The day that magically appears as February 29th every four years. It’s an extra day in our year. 366 days instead of the usual 365. There’s something physiologically weird about having an extra day. Yet isn’t that what most of us are clamoring for, more hours in our days? Don’t we all wish we just had a little more time?

Here’s the thing. We all get an equal amount of hours in our days. We all get the same 60 minutes to each hour. Some people use this time well and take advantage of it. Some do not. Leap day is still just a day.

I was recently talking with a young woman when a poignant question came up. “If someone were to look at the way you spend your time what would he or she say are the most important priorities in your life?” (Nancy Leigh DeMoss) That’s a very thought provoking question and one I think I often don’t want to consider. Yet I think it’s very crucial that we do. If we don’t take time to examine what we are doing the days will just roll into weeks and the years will pass by faster than we can imagine.

So much of our culture seems to say, “Put off responsibility and play! You’re entitled to it!” Hold up. We aren’t entitled to anything. I think the people that use their time wisely know how to work hard and rest well. They know how to filter out what is most important from the fluff. They have goals instead of dreams. You can wish all day for this or that but until you’re willing to put in the effort it’s really unlikely it’s going to drop in your lap.

There’s a scene from one of my favorite films (and books) The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien where Gandalf (the leader of the fellowship) is engaged in a moving conversation with Frodo who is the ring bearer (the one on whom the world’s fate seems to rest upon). While Frodo wishes the ring had never come to him Gandalf comforts him with the fact that no one wishes for hard things. Then Gandalf says this gem, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

None of us know how much time we will get in our lives. In light of that fact will we squander the time we’ve been given or will we use it to the fullest? I want the highest priority of my life to be Jesus and so this is my prayer, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

We may get this extra leap day today but I hope that all your days you make the time to choose what is important. “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln

Happy Leap Day everyone! What are some of your top priorities? What helps you refocus? Please share in the comments below!

3 Responses to Leap Day 2016

  1. Amber Anderson February 29, 2016 at 12:17 pm #

    You write so beautifully. I could spend hours reading your blog. Absolutely love your Lord of the Rings reference too!

    • misselaini February 29, 2016 at 12:55 pm #

      That is such a sweet compliment! Thank you friend! Haha yes always fit in LOTR whenever possible. 😉

  2. Nick Jesch March 1, 2016 at 7:58 pm #

    Leap day has had a special personal significance for me for a long time: some years ago I went to bed on the 28th February, the oler brother to five siblings. I woke up in the morning to the news I was now older brother to SEVEN. Yup. Twin brothers invaded my llife on Leap Day. Mpm did some research and learned those two are the ONLY pair of twins born on that day.

    Came across this article giving some interesting information on the day and its history: http://constitution.com/today-february-29-history-behind-leap-day/, a well writen article by a man I’ve come to respect a lot. One thing new I learned that is significant: my little brothers got cheated out of one more birthday in the year 2000… years divisble by 400 do NOT have a leapday, something I completely missed.

    Miss Elaini, your “take” on how to spend the day is spot on: here, we have one more day to live in service to our King, best by serving each other. As I pondered that, I remembered how the Lord established the major feats in old Israel: He never set a specific date or anniversary for the feasts, but had the people mark them out according to seasons, new moons, etc… Passover, Pentecost, Booths…… they followed the seasons, not a specific date. We Westerners tend to choose a specific date, as in 4 July, 25 December, or the 4th Thursday in….

    Thanks for the insighful and thought provoking post. Some solid points to ponder. You’re good at that.

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