We are on the downhill sprint towards my eldest son's graduation.... a mere two months away. And can I say, with as quickly as the last two months blew by, his graduation will come and go just as quick. Reminds me of the lyrics in Casting Crowns' song, "Who Am I":
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow.
A wave tossed in the ocean.
A vapor in the wind.
Still You hear me when I'm calling.
Here today and gone tomorrow.
A wave tossed in the ocean.
A vapor in the wind.
Still You hear me when I'm calling.
(Don't stop reading..... this is not a "downer" post!)
Don't you just LOVE that last line? Oh, how He alone defines Life itself. He alone makes sense of it.
Just this morning I was having coffee with my nearly seventeen year old daughter.
Without fail, every morning, she joins me in the early hours for "our cup" of coffee. It is PURE joy.... our time together... mother and daughter. If I dare... (and I do)... I call it sacred.... for it is.
This morning I found myself teaching her a concept I live. She's witnessed me living the concept for years, but until this morning, I do not believe I have "defined" it for her. I was musing out loud about what I was going to do today to make this day "marked."..... marked as intentionally lived.
I developed this awareness years ago when I realized life was simply passing by without any punctuation mark whatsoever at the end of each day.
So each day, no matter how fast paced it may be, I have some moment or moments during the day for pause, laughter, celebration, or simply a deep exhale... but in that moment.... I wholly take in the day. I smell it, see it, taste it, touch it.... celebrate it... joys and challenges alike.
I developed this awareness years ago when I realized life was simply passing by without any punctuation mark whatsoever at the end of each day.
So each day, no matter how fast paced it may be, I have some moment or moments during the day for pause, laughter, celebration, or simply a deep exhale... but in that moment.... I wholly take in the day. I smell it, see it, taste it, touch it.... celebrate it... joys and challenges alike.
Yesterday was fast paced. They usually are. But upon arriving at home and placing the take out pizza on the kitchen counter, I slipped the lead on my beloved Angel-girl (our Shih Tzu) and took an intentionally slow paced stroll. This began my "mark" of the day. Upon arriving home some ten or fifteen minutes later, I found my youngest son waiting by the front door. Evidently he had heard my departure and came looking for me. I asked him if he wanted to go for a little stroll together... and he did. (I continued to "mark" the day.) I thanked the Lord out loud for the day and all that it contained. My son and I laughed and talked as we walked. My evening ended with a good foot soak and fuzzy socks.
While every day is different, I live life with intentionality. That's how I defined it this morning with my daughter. And it is just that. Intentional.
Life does pass so quickly, and while there is no slowing it down, the days can be lived deliberately. Deliberately mixing and marking the responsibilities, the challenges, and the delights each day holds.
Life does pass so quickly, and while there is no slowing it down, the days can be lived deliberately. Deliberately mixing and marking the responsibilities, the challenges, and the delights each day holds.
I trust you know just how significant YOU are ....fleeting days and all.
Leaving you today, I encourage you to learn the practice of "marking" your days before our Creator, so at the end of life on this planet, you can see more than a blur! Your days are worth the giving of punctuation.... the periods, the question marks, and the exclamation marks.... for He holds them all!
Intentionality.... it's a grand thing indeed!
Leaving you today, I encourage you to learn the practice of "marking" your days before our Creator, so at the end of life on this planet, you can see more than a blur! Your days are worth the giving of punctuation.... the periods, the question marks, and the exclamation marks.... for He holds them all!
Intentionality.... it's a grand thing indeed!
Enjoy this oldie, but goodie!
