Isn’t it amazing how we rise in the morning facing a complete new day, follow our planned routine, and before we know it, nighttime has arrived and we take our fatigue to bed? Minutes have passed into hours, hours into days, and within the blink of an eye, whole weeks have vanished. Where did time go?
I found myself pondering that question when I realized my daughter, my youngest child, will celebrate her thirtieth birthday this week. Vivid images of the day she was born still fill my mind— her father humming as he carried her in the hall while the doctor tended to me, her brother’s wide-eyed stare over the side of the crib, her grandmother standing above her, camera in hand. How could thirty years have passed since those first moments of her life?
When we are young, time seems to stand still. We can’t wait for summer vacation. As summer drags on, we anticipate returning to school. As we age, time speeds up. Didn’t we just celebrate Christmas? When did this year slip away?
All of us want to feel useful, to be valued for the work we do, to be remembered for the contribution we make during our time on earth. God, though, wants us to walk with Him. He wants to direct our days and guide our paths. The Bible teaches us in Micah 6:8:, “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Yet we fret. In Matthew 6:28-30 (NIV) we are told: “Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!”
As you get caught up in the busyness of this season, remember to pause, thank God for his gift of eternal life to us at Christmastime through his son Jesus, and make the most of the minutes you have been given. Tomorrow is not promised, so be thankful today.