Do You Have a Little More Room In Your Jar…

There was a professor who stood before her philosophy class and had some items in front of her. When the class began, wordlessly, she picked up a very large but empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. She then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. She shook the jar slightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. She then asked the students again if the jar was full. They again agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. She asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents of both cups into the jar, effectively filling the empty spaces between the grains of sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things: Your faith, your hope, your love; your family, your community, God. That if everything else is lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that are of matter, but are of less importance, your job, your house, your car. The sand represents everything else …. the small stuff. If first we were to fill the jar with sand we would have no room for the golf balls or the pebbles. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are truly important. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your eternal life. Take time out for your families; be patient and loving to one another. There is always time to clean the house there is always time to wash your car. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. One of the students raised his hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple cups of coffee with a friend."