During the long Thanksgiving Holiday, we hooked up the old VCR player and my sister and I watched old home movies. We watched previous Christmas mornings when my children were babies. We watched the Christmas when Bryce got his
Nintendo and first games; Mario and Duck Hunt. It was amazing to see and hear my little children. I had forgotten what they sounded like. However, it seems like only yesterday my grown adult children, were running to mama to fix whatever was wrong. It has always amazed me how time feels like it is crawling as you are living it but when you look back, it goes in a flash. I can not believe it has been 25 years since I held my first baby! My sister and brother are the same age as my children. Their mother died when they were 14 and 16 years old. Our father died when they were 18 and 20 years old. When we were watching the tapes, it dawned on me that their mother was filming the tapes to record their childhood. Yet, in reality, we were watching the tapes to remember and see their parents. At one point, in the tape viewing, we realized their mother had only 10 more years with her children. She didn't see her children drive, graduate, go off to college, start their careers, She won't see them get married or have children. She was a great mother, but what would she had done differently if she knew she would only have 16 years as a mother.
Today, I have several friends that could be experiencing their last Christmas. It makes me ponder how I would look at this Christmas if it was my last. Actually, it could be! I do not know what tomorrow holds for me or any of those I love and care about. The only thing I know for sure is that one day I will live for eternity with my God and my Savior.
Why then do we live like we are
guaranteed to live to be a
hundred? How would we live this
Christmas if we knew it would be our last? Would we stress less? Would we enjoy our family and friends more? Would we talk more about Jesus? Would we truly focus on the true meaning of Christmas? What gift would we give as our last gift to someone? What kind of impact would we have on people if we lived like there was not tomorrow?
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
James 4 :13-14
1 comment:
This devotion hit me like a ton of bricks.
A good friend from high school committed suicide on thanksgiving. He was a Christian. He had a profound influence on my in High School to walk with Christ and make good choices. When we got out of High School he got hooked on drugs.....he was 41 when he died.
Another friend from high school is fighting Ovarian Cancer. Also a Christian. She went in for her check up....it was time for MRI....they found a mass on her liver. Her check up in Great Falls has turned into a trip to Seattle and surgery all within about 10 days. (She cracks me up cuz she named the liver tumor "Fatty Carbunkle"...they are not sure what it is yet....so she named it) She is bright sparkling person...no one is a stranger or friendless in her presence. And yet she continues to fight her battle with grace and dignity. She has a young son.
Everyday is a gift.
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