Recently I was heading in for a 7:00 a.m. breakfast meeting and for whatever reason I actually left the house early. The breakfast place I was headed to is exactly 15 minutes from my house so I knew I had to leave at 6:45 to make it on time, however, I remember sitting down in my truck, looking up at the clock and seeing that it was only 6:39 a.m.
Just a few minutes from my destination I noticed a middle aged man in a maroon Honda Accord who was trying to pull out of the gas station into my lane of heavy morning traffic. I had plenty of time left to get to my appointment, so without hesitation I put my brakes on and let him out.
As he pulled out and waved the thought crossed my mind…
Margin is essential for the unexpected!
I tend to plan my schedule and my budgets based on perfect scenarios. The problem with that is obvious. Rarely are there perfect scenarios. In other words I have no margins.
A margin is something allowed, or reserved, for that which can not be foreseen or known with certainty.
If I had left right “on time” I probably would have been so focused on where I was going that I would have totally missed the opportunity to let him out. Even if I did see him I’m not sure I would have taken the time to stop. Now it doesn’t sound like a really big deal, right? I mean, I just let a car pull out in front of me. However, this principle plays itself out in almost every area of my life and has huge implications.
I’m afraid margin is something that is missing way too often in my life these days.
My lack of margin impacts…
How generous I am with my money.
How generous I am with my time.
How I lead.
How I love.
Maybe we all need to slow down a bit. Breathe a bit.
I know we’re all quickaholics that have become enamored by words like, fast, easy and instant, but efficiency is not God’s highest goal for you. Love is.
How is your margin or lack of margin impacting you these days? What one area of your life do you need more margin the most?
