"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalms 90:12 NIV).

A fable is told of a man who was walking home along a river's shore in the dark. He stumbled upon a bag of stones which he picked up. As a pastime he threw the stones one by one into the river, enjoying the 'ker-plunk' of each stone breaking the water's surface. When he arrived home he had only two stones remaining in the bag. He saw that they were diamonds.

Like the man in the fable we often realize something's value too late. Our moments in time are like jewels.

When we speak about 'our time' we are speaking about 'our lives'. When we give each other 'our time' we are giving each other a chunk of ourselves. We are taking from the time we have been given and depleting the supply. We need to invest time thoughtfully.

The giving of a moment to a friend is the greatest gift you can give. You are subtracting moments from your limit of days and giving to another. It is a gift of love. There is no greater way to honor each other than to give each other the gift of time.

Investing time with a friend is a privilege that you cannot repeat in heaven. A moment spent with another in heaven is not a diminishing of the supply of your life. For eternal life is without limit.

Our society likes to think of itself as being responsible 'for' many things. But we need to remember 'to' Whom we are responsible. How will you answer to God for the expenditure of your time?

Treasure every moment, every day. Each one is gift of God. Time is a gift that can be given to others. Never take the time a friend offers to you lightly. Time is a jewel.