“Miracle of the Moment”

The headlines are all around me. I read about tragedies that happen on a daily basis. People are dying in house fires, motorcycle accidents, drownings, murders, and yes, even cancer can snatch someone away very suddenly. All of them leaving behind families and friends unexpectedly. I am sure each victim, if they could, would tell me that they would live life a bit differently had they only known when their time on earth was to end.

But that’s the mysterious thing about life, isn’t it? Most of us truly live our lives as if we will go about our business here forever. We’re busy making plans for our future…setting goals for what sort of job we want to have in 5 years…what sort of car we want to drive in 10 years…what colleges our children will attend…making our living…building our castles…building up our 401K. I’m not saying that preparing for the future and setting goals is in and of itself a bad thing. It is necessary. But, I have been convicted lately that we seem to be attempting to make a permanent residence out of a place that essentially is not our home. We don’t take TODAY seriously enough. We tend to put things off because we have tomorrow, or at least we think we do.

James 4:14 asks, "what is your life? You are but a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. You don’t even know what will happen tomorrow". Psalm 144 verses 3 and 4, liken man to a breath whose days are like a fleeting shadow. It’s sobering to entertain the thought that I may not live to see tomorrow. Even though I may have my future all planned out, I don’t get to choose my final day. "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails" - Proverbs 19:21.

I really think we’ve missed the boat! When we aren’t planning out the future, we’re wallowing in the past. Sure, we all have regrets, but we can’t really do anything about the past any more than we can the future. And even if we could change it, would we really want too? Think about where you are and what you have, and how all of that would vanish if you changed your past. What we CAN do something about… is right now. What choices are we going to make TODAY! Maybe it’s sharing what we have learned from those past experiences…maybe it’s telling someone you love them… maybe it’s saying you’re sorry…maybe it’s getting right with God. Remember, you may not have tomorrow!

Yes, it’s easy to stress about the future and linger in the past, but have we forgotten the miracle of this very moment? Listen to your heart beating! Take a look at your loved ones! Make the most of every opportunity that the day brings you! "This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!" (Psalm 118:24) Did you get that? It didn’t say tomorrow is the day…it didn’t say yesterday was the day…it says TODAY is the day!

There’s something to be said about making the most of every moment. Not only are we to rejoice in this day, but in Ephesians 4 we read that we are not to allow the sun to go down while we are angry. We are to make those amends TODAY! Hebrews 3 tells us to encourage one another DAILY, "as long as it is still called TODAY"! And most importantly, NOW is the time of God’s favor, NOW is the day of salvation! (2 Corinthians 6:2). If you have not made Jesus Christ Lord and Savior of your life, I pray you don’t wait until it’s too late!

Each breath you take is a gift from God. If it brings you tears, then cry with passion! If it brings you laughter, then bust your gut! If it brings you praise, then lift your hands high. If it brings you opportunity, then take a risk and step out! Have no regrets…take care of business… discover the miracle of the moment!