Making The Most Of Every Moment

Be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Unthinkingly, I reached my hand out to hold my daughter’s, but she pretended not to notice. We were leaving Target, and the parking lot was busy. For more than ten years, I’d held a small hand in my own while navigating noisy trucks and fast cars. It felt natural for me to grab a child’s hand. I’d forgotten that at age twelve my daughter was “too old” for that, according to her.

Quickly realizing my faux pas, I let the moment pass. But in the car on the way home, I reached my hand into the back seat, toward her. Now that no one else was around, she grabbed it and held it between her own, and I savored the moment.

I’ve been reminding myself to be more present in moments like these, not only because the people around me deserve my full attention, but also because this time of my life is slipping away. Two of my children will already be grown and gone within ten years. I’ll know them as adults much longer than I will have known them as children.

I don’t want to miss these precious times. So I hug my littlest daughter close and breathe her in as she clings, arms and legs wound around my neck and waist, as I carry her from her bed to the living room couch each morning before school. I kiss her squishy cheeks as often as I can, smile at misspoken words, and listen to a million made-up songs about her stuffed animals. When we go to Target, I tuck her tiny hand into my own, knowing that soon, like her sister, she’ll be too old to want me to do so.

Though this moment in life is temporary, the effects can last a lifetime. Whether it’s parenting children, being a good friend, working hard at our job, or loving well, wisdom requires us to make the most of every opportunity. When we do, we honor how God wants us to live. And we value the temporary, grateful that we have been given a chance to appreciate it.

Kristin

Today’s Act of Gratitude

List five things in your life that are temporary. Spend time thanking God for them.