Misty Summer Reflections

Written June, 2015

Excerpt: 

But, time is the weirdest thing... Today, I saw a childhood pal and a college friend get married. Nothing can stop them now! This is all that she has been waiting so long for- all that she ever dreamed of: to be that lovely, incomparable thing called "a wife". Well, except for the fact that she can't wait to be a mom. More waiting, more time, more anticipation of the next "thing." 

Today, life is beyond perfect, and it will only become *more* perfect with each new step: a house, a child, the next graduation, the next promotion...

I ended the day watching a slideshow from the funeral of a man that was more like family than any of us had realized. We watched the slideshow from Mr. Chuck’s life - almost against my silent will, but we needed to watch it. All of those pictures... There he is just doing life, without a lot of major day to day changes, but the end of his life looked nothing like it did 10, 20, 30 years ago. The pictures they showed were of his kids, his tree work, his goofiness. There he is just doing life, having no idea that they were capturing a moment on film that would be shown at his funeral, and earlier than anyone would have guessed. He died so fast, so young.

 (Makes ya wonder what highlights of life will make it on the final recap- when your life is boiled down to a 4 minute slideshow) ...

Takeaway? Well, what my heart has been chewing on today: 

Live NOW where you are NOW. "Be where you're at." Don't spend each phase of life pining for the next. 

Love those around you (UNconditionally), from the God given roses to the thorns. And maybe another takeaway is that maybe the day you die is the biggest day of your life...? 

Just like that, whether it's expected or not, the game is over. No more time outs, half times, practices or championships- just the award ceremony. If God put together what He considered to be the "highlight reel" of my life, what would it be? Right now, I would be tempted to say that the "big days" would be graduations, maybe a wedding, my summers, productions, maybe when I hold my hypothetical child for the first time, etc. But, perhaps God wouldn't consider those to be the actual "highlights." Maybe His cutting of the film would look nothing like mine. 

Maybe he would choose snapshots of the time I learned to pray, realized my need of him and quit trying so hard to " earn Christ". Maybe He would choose the time I led my first person to the Lord, offered a cup of water in His name- not so that I win some silly leadership award... But, what about the time I did something small for someone without them ever knowing? Just so I could serve and look a little more like Christ? Maybe it would be of times that I shared the Gospel/ handed out a tract while running errands, prayed for someone's request on Facebook, stayed up late to listen to someone's heart, shared scripture with a peer, lost sleep so I could spend time with Abba and His eternal word ....

The question is, if those are the things that matter to God, why am I not doing more of these more often? 

Why am I so enamored with the glittering, breakable toys of life - what I consider to be "major milestones" of my life? Ya know, those days that "actually matter"? 

Why am I not charmed with the radiance of Christ's beauty, His example of simple, consistent service, His love for all people - those that have been redeemed or not? 

Why am I so weakened by the opinions of men and their silly ideas of me when I have the living, active, holy word? 

Why am I so swayed and romanced by the good and wholesome , but fleeting/ temporary pleasures of this vapor that they call "life"?

I saw a stunning  picture of Christ and his church today. 

I saw a short picture video of an entire life today. 

Both pictures help me to see the BIG picture:

I am nothing, He is everything, others are more important. 

It's not the 3 or 4 "major days" that matter the most, but really it is in the day to day, minute to minute, quiet services to the king that make a lifetime worth the  living.