Today is the 29th of August. Once again I am startled at the way time has a way of passing so quickly. I know, I know. Everyone says that. And it is so true.
One time I was complaining about not having enough time to get things done. To this, my brother in law Ray looked at me and said, "you have the same amount of time that everyone has." I have thought of that often. He was teasing me as only Ray can. However, what he said is so true. We all have the same amount of time don't we. I have to admit that these days, it feels like I just want to sleep. I am often so tired. *sigh
This past weekend, I had a mom with her three adult daughters. Her and I chatted a bit, as she was up earlier than her girls. That made sense to the both of us. They were young moms - with busy households. As we stood chatting in the kitchen, over her freshly brewed cup of coffee, she shared with me about living with cancer, and what she had already gone through, and knowing that the cancer was still in her body, although currently in remission. She shared her journey with me, different aspects of it, over the course of the time they spent retreating. I was honored to be able to hear her story. I realized that as I had prayed for the four of them, I had no knowledge of what was happening in any of their lives.
There were a few things that she said that impacted me greatly. One was how she felt jipped when she did not get taken to heaven, as the veil between her and heaven seemed to have gotten very thin.
But she realized that God was not done with her yet, here on earth. However the fear about death was not there. I saw a brave christian woman who was embracing all that God had for her still to do in this life. That spoke to me. The other thing that she mentioned was that she realized the need to live fully in each moment TODAY. Oh man, I really got that, as I have realized in life that too often I have felt like "... when I do this, then ..." and sometimes I have postponed joy because of something I was looking ahead to. LIVE EACH DAY AS IF IT IS THE LAST.
I have seen that quote often. And I have also realized with sadness, that I have really squandered time.
Time is the same for each one of us. 24 hours. 7 days in a week. 12 months in a year.
We don't know the days that God has ordained for us before even one of them came to be (from my favorite Psalm 139). We do know however that God gives us each day as a gift. And we have so much to live for - and so much joy can come from each day we have. I think this mom just underlined that once again for me.
I want to live fully - to live all out for HIM. I want to see him all over my day. I want to make each day count for Jesus. I want to live like this day is my last.
This post isn't long, but it is just a little bit of my heart today. In the very early hours of the 29th day of this 8th month of 2016.
Lord, I want to live for you - fully. I want to quit putting off what I know you want me to do today. To do now. I have squandered too much time - waiting for tomorrow. I want to live fully in the gift of today, and I thank you for that. I thank you for people who enter into my life who teach me in quiet moments of conversation. O LORD I want to live fully for you. Help me to do that Lord. Amen.
1 comment:
I love this Joy...especially since this is the place God has pushed me into living in as someone who has been "code blue" too many times and has already had glimpses of heaven. The peace and joy I feel "on the other side" is indescribable...as is the peace and joy I feel when I'm revived and I realize I still get to do life here for a bit longer...because my girls need me...and there is so much I want to contribute to the world before I'm taken permanently away. I also experience this every time I have been mentally and emotionally "dead" in severe clinical depression and then come "back to life". Its amazing to be able to think and feel and see in colour and have hope again...but I constantly live between the tension of excitement that I'm able to get another crack at life...and the not knowing how much time before I "die" again. I've never had more than 4 months of "life" in a row in the past 6 years and our life is so incredibly hard and scary and complicated that there's sooo much to do in those alive periods that it can be overwhelming and so very exhausting. Thank you for this reminder to live each day as if its my last...because for me that is a very real thing with all the crazy medical issues I've got. I am trying to not panic...because God doesn't...and to find that elusive balance between resting, doing and simply being in His presence. Here's to another fresh start...so thankful for another day! Hugs and rest to you my friend.
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