Our lives are linear, not circular. There is a beginning, an end, and a multitude of moments. What are these moments, these brief periods of time, instances, split seconds? Moments become hours and days and then a lifetime. A lifetime of moments. This blog is about savouring every moment that we have.
In youth, moments lack value because, deep down, we feel we have thousands or even millions more to come. We can afford to waste a few and not value or savour each moment. In our thirties and forties, we are often too busy with life to consider the quality of our moments. Our thoughts are invaded with the mundane: what's for dinner, who is fetching the kids, did someone remember to buy milk?
But as we edge over 50 and our time is less stretched, we can afford the time to ponder the quality of our lives. Sometimes, we look back with hindsight, wondering if we were present in moments, and sometimes regretting our busyness and lack of intentional focus in the precious moments in time. Thinking back to when our children were small and realising how special the moments were and how quickly they slipped away.
Life struggles can steal the beauty of moments, and at times, the negative is all we see, wishing that time would pass. For example, in achieving a goal, we can be so focused on reaching our destination that enjoyment slips through our hands.
Think of that first run as we train towards a 21km half marathon—the agony of getting one's body to obey the new movements. Or studying for an exam, the discipline of spending hours absorbed in acquiring knowledge for an outcome. Or perhaps it makes you think about being a parent and growing children; the moment's beauty can be lost in the chaos.
We are often in a hurry- moving forward, getting the necessary done, and reaching our goal. Or even when we have a hard time, just wanting things to change, waiting for the breakthrough day. Problems loom and steal the moment.
So, what to do?
The challenge for all of us is to calm down, hold things lightly, and enjoy the moment.
This challenge rests on faith. Faith for holding our difficulties lightly with the firm foundation that God loves us, cares about our lives and contains all our problems. Ecclesiastes 3:11, "He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time." Bad things ultimately give way to better things. The urgency and difficulty of certain moments fall away as issues are resolved, problems are solved, and many moments are forgotten.
So where does that leave us?
We are responsible for navigating the beauty of life and the challenges. And, in both instances, we recognise that faith and the quiet reassurance of God's faithfulness underpins all that we go through.
Habakkuk 3:19, "The Lord is my strength. He has made my feet like hinds' feet and makes me walk in my high places.”
God has equipped us with hinds' feet, steady and sure, to walk in places of challenge and responsibility. He has given us everything we need to overcome our struggles with joy and assurance of His goodness. Allowing us to savour each moment as we trust Him.