One of the most thought-provoking songs in recent memory is one called "Cat's in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin. The song was number one on the Billboard music chart in December of 1974 and went on to sell millions of copies.

The song was based on a poem written by Harry's wife, Sandy. It is about fathers who have too little time for their families. But it is about more than just fathers. Life seems to pass all of us by so quickly that we live with guilt and many regrets.

When asked what the song was really about in an interview in 2003, Sandy made the following comment: "The whole point of the story is that we learn our lessons in life by making mistakes, by trial and error, by experience." She added, "It would be great if we could learn about the future ahead of time, but we have to learn the hard way. It's like the old saying—too old too soon, too wise too late."

The chorus of the song tells a haunting story of how much we miss in life by not stopping to "smell the roses" along the way.

"And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man in the moon. 'When you coming home, dad?' 'I don't know when, but we'll get together then. You know we'll have a good time then.'"

The lesson of the song is quite simple. If we could see the future and change our lives accordingly, we could enjoy the things that are important and capitalize on things that have true meaning rather than concentrate on things that are transient. It seems that there are so many things in life that occupy our time that will not have a lasting impact.

It is said that no one reaches the end of his life wishing he had spent more time at work. It seems the regrets we have are about our relationships. We regret all the time we missed with our families or our friends or in the case of the Church, with our brethren. Relationships are of more value than things, and that is really the message of the song.

We also read in Scripture about this simple concept. It is found in Ephesians 5:15-16: "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." This same principle is found in Colossians 4:4-5: "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time."

To redeem the time means to "buy back." How can you buy back time? By setting priorities and making the best use of the time that you have. Every one of us has the same number of minutes and hours in each day. As Christians we know the future, so, in one sense, we are without excuse. We must "redeem" the time by spending it wisely on things of value—our relationship with God, our relationships with our family and our relationships with one another as Christians.

"The cat's in the cradle..." and it's time to focus on what is really important! Don't wait until it is too late! The future is now! UN