As Time Goes By

CORE PRACTICE #47: Cherish every moment with family members.

A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.

—Ecclesiastes 3:4

TONY

I’ve rarely been happier than when Lauren and our children were finally able to join me in Indianapolis in 2003. After a year and a half apart, we would finally be living in the same house again. Yet like any long-distance move, this one brought a few temporary inconveniences. For instance, for a day or two all of our stuff was boxed up—including the kids’ toys.

So when I wanted to find something to do with eleven-year-old Eric, I grabbed a roll of tape and one of our brooms and asked if he wanted to play “tape baseball.” That’s when I realized that my son can really hit!

A few days later, I asked Eric during a casual conversation, “What was the best time you ever had with me?”

His eyes lit up and he said, “Dad, the greatest time I ever had with you was beating you in tape baseball, 22 to 3.”

“Really?” I said. “That was better than being on the sidelines with me? Better than going to the Pro Bowl together? Better than catching passes from Kurt Warner? Why?”

“Because it was the last thing we did together.”

Wow. Talk about an eye-opening moment. What matters most to our kids aren’t the flashy things; it’s what we do with them every day. Of course, the same is true for parents: Our best memories aren’t of great achievements at work or any award. They are the moments we spent with loved ones.

I appreciate how one Scripture so often sheds light on another. Perhaps the best-known section of Ecclesiastes (where today’s verse is found) points out that there is a time for everything under heaven.^a The apostle James reminds us why that’s so important to remember: “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone” (James 4:14).

And so, might I add, are our children. We assume we’re going to have many “tomorrows” with them, but we can’t count on that. We need to take advantage of the time that God has given us today. Eric and our daughter Tiara are now living on their own. The days of playing tape baseball with our son or cheering on Tiara at her cross country races are over. I’m so thankful I didn’t miss them.

Adventure Application: Spend a few minutes today reminiscing about some treasured times spent with either your kids or with other family members or friends. You might even ask your kids what their favorite family memory is. Prepare to be surprised!