Father, thank You for so many words of encouragement that I have seen today in regards to the anxiety I posted on yesterday. I am grateful that Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9 NLT) Your assurance brings great comfort.
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Before Daylight Savings Time kicked in this past November, just about every morning I would see two white Pekin ducks and one mallard duck, off in the yard from a pond on my high school/middle school route. They waddled in a line purposely searching for food. There was nothing special or flamboyant about them. They were just your regular run of the mill ducks but they were a consistent part of my morning routine and brought a smile to my face each time I saw them.
A couple of weeks before Christmas break as I came up to that area from another direction, I beheld a disturbing sight. It was still dark but I was pretty sure that in the road were feathers over what was left of a white Pekin duck and a mallard. That afternoon, I came upon them again and sure enough, two of the ducks had lost their lives. The loss of something so simple yet beautiful was saddening.
This past weekend we had the chance to catch up with some of my mom’s side of the family. We took my mom and dad with us and enjoyed spending time with my aunt, my one cousin, and my other cousin’s oldest son, along with his wife and young family. They have three sweet girls – a four-year-old, a two-year-old and a brand-new baby!
I loved watching them interact with their parents! Lots of energy, with plenty of wiggles and giggles! And of course, their parents just took it all in stride – it’s part of being a parent.
Now that I am getting older, I quite often will take the time to encourage young parents. One thing I point out is that time is fleeting. I didn’t mention the ducks but just as their lives were cut short in the blink of an eye, so quickly will this precious time that these young parents are currently experiencing with their family, pass into history, as well.
It is easy to take for granted, those special moments, those special people, in our lives. Unfortunately, when we are in the middle of it, it seems so mundane – nothing special or flamboyant. It is just life. It is when we look back upon it that we realize how special it was. Our parents, our children, our friends. Not one of us truly walks this dusty globe but for a breath in view of eternity.
Cherish those moments. Hold them tight, not in an attempt to never let them go or to let them grow but knowing that “this too shall pass” and the gifts we have of the present will be no more.
Psalm 90, written by Moses, is the oldest recorded psalm and in it, verse 12, passes along a very applicable bit of wisdom.
Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. (NLT)
Jan 6th, 2020, Mon, 12:45 pm
