While I was running this afternoon a picturesque scene consumed my vision. As I reached the crest of a hill I soaked in a beautiful view of a swiftly moving sunset. The clouds were being blown across the top of the valley at a very fast pace and as the sun sank into the bluffs it threw dancing light across that back of each cloud. It reminded me off those videos with the clouds moving really fast over the prairie and as you watch it you see the clouds forming and blowing around super fast. My trigger figure was itching pretty bad as I continued on my way watching the moment fade. This moment could be described as “a missed opportunity” for a sad photographer. Perhaps a better description would be a moment of time in which nothing could hold back what was happening. No matter how amazing it was or how much wishing was done to make the moment last, it passed with the wind and was taken from sight. As I continued to run the wind kept blowing and the scene faded from view. I was struck by how, like the clouds flying across the sky, time passes us by. How many “picturesque moments” in life pass us as we watch wishing they would slow down?
“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” -Carl Sandburg
We all have a moments in our life in which we were meant to carry out a specific duties or tasks. I believe that God has created each of for a unique purpose and calling in this life which He has blessed each of us with. So many of us get lost though, and miss many opportunities to shine for Christ. Moment by moment our life passes us by and we receive fewer chances to radiate. That one moment that we had a shot at shining passes by and slowly we start wasting our life.
“When we grow old, there can only be one regret – not to have given enough of ourselves.” – Eleanora Duse
The past couple of days have been really aggravating for me because we have had a lot of warm weather. Normally I would accept this with happiness and excitement because what runner does not get pumped about warm weather? However my spirits have been dampened because as the thermometer gets higher the ice rink I have been working on over the past month gets lower. It has been three days and grass is now starting to show on one end of the rink. I spent many a late cold night freezing my fingers and nose off patiently working the water on different parts of the rink. Day by day I saw progress and I saw each layer starting to come together and the anticipation of skating became greater. Now as I sit looking through the kitchen window I see massive puddles of water on the frozen work I had so diligently created. This makes me think about how even when we are not wasting time, we can spend it in the wrong way. We can put so much work into worldly things, but in the end they melt away and all our hard work becomes nothing, but a sad little puddle that quickly evaporates and then disappears. We need to not only NOT waste our time, but use it wisely! We need to serve our God not this world. We may be in this world, but we can’t be of it.
“Do not love the world or anything in it the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of our father is not in him.” – 1 John 2:15
When we aren’t serving our Father then we are serving ourselves with the things of this world. We need to make sure we are working towards something that will be fruitful in the end and not fade away with time; like money, things and pleasure. The kingdom of God won’t fade away like these things or clouds in the sky.
“….an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in Heaven for you.” – 1 Peter 1:4
Why are we wasting the time we have and letting it pass us by. We are only a mist in this life; here one moment and gone the next. In God’s eternal Glory we are but a fragment of what has happened and what is to come. The other day I was reading an article that was talking about praying unceasingly. The writer was talking about the importance of time and how important every moment in prayer needs to be. He made a comment about looking back on life and wishing he had done more praying. I don’t know about you, but I do not want to grow old in age and look back on my life wishing I hadn’t wasted my time in so many ways. I want to look back with pride knowing I gave it my all, and when my heavenly father calls me home I want to have worked hard for Him. Though a lifetime might present itself as never-ending, it is only temporary. As we get older, allowing time to pass without taking those “Picturesque moments” in life for all they are worth, we end up at the end of our journey without much to bring to God’s table.
Each day on this earth is a gift from God! Each sunrise is a blessing and we need to use every minute to it’s full. Can’t you see how blessed we are in everything that God provides for us? Let’s live out that joy more and be thankful and watchful so we use every day to bring God glory. In all that we do we need to be bringing glory to God!
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” –Colossians 3:23
“I only regret that I have but one life to live for my country.” – Nathan Hale
We only have one life to live for Christ, and we need to LIVE IT! Don’t get caught up in watching the sweet moments of life pass by as your attention is caught by something else. Focus on the task that God has lain before you to do and reap the rewards of patience and perseverance. Time is nothing to take for granted, it can only be used once and just as the wind blows clouds from the sky, so also does time blow moments from our life. Remember that every moment counts and is waiting to be taken and used! So reach out and take it before it is gone with the wind…..