When we are so small do we really realize just how well we have it? I don't think we do until we are well grown, looking back, remembering all those simple times. When we are young we wish and wish and wish upon the stars to be older. All we want is to be on our own, make our own decisions, and caste our own dreams into the heavens. We can't wait for that first dance, that first date, that first drive, that first time away from home. We so want our independence. We want to prove ourselves and show all we can do. It is just that natural part of growing up.Being a child for me was so simple. I could wake up and play. Go outside and enjoy it! I didn't care if I had sweat running down my face and back. I could ride my bike all day and watch the stars at night. I could lay on the couch on a Saturday morning and watch cartoons, all the while my mom was making this amazing breakfast of biscuits and gravy, eggs and fried potatoes! Oh, and sausage too. After that the day was mine to do whatever I wanted. I would go ride bikes with friends and just play all day, going home for dinner and enjoy a night watching my favorite comedy shows with my dad.
Today as I sit here I dream of those days again. I dream of the simple times and wish for them to return. We allow stress to overtake our minds and we just seem to go, go and go. We are hard pressed to find a moment of peace in our active lives. Some is just life, but some busy days are just our own doings to ourselves. We pile our days with to-do lists and fill our weekends with more. Whatever happened to just having some good old fun? What happened to playing a game with your family? What happened to just enjoying ice cream with your child? We get so bogged down we even let those date nights go. And what do we do as we lay our heads down? We wish for more time. We wish for a quietness. We wish for a peaceful home. We dream of those days of being a kid, and then it hits us. Wham, just like a giant hammer we see how life was so good and we did nothing but wish it away.
We wished to be older. We wished to have our own job. Our own house. Our own family. Our own car. Our own everything. We couldn't wait for tomorrow. With each birthday we wished for the next, instead of just enjoying today.
I think today I even do the same things. I wish for tomorrow, instead of just simply taking time to enjoy today. As I was driving into town this morning I had the radio up. I was singing along. Had my hand raised in praise to the Lord and just slowed down. I looked around me at all the beauty. I looked at how green the trees are. How simple the fields look filled with hay. I looked at the homes as I passed by and just simply wondered if they knew the Lord. I wondered if they too wished their days away, or did they realize at a young age just how important each day is?
We want our homes to be filled with peace, laughter and love, but what do we do to make that happen? Is it just a simple wish or our we actively trying to change that? For us to do so we must make the effort to slow down. To enjoy our husband or wife. To make time to ask our children, "So, what's been on your heart lately?" We don't need lots of money to spend time with our family. We don't have to go out to dinner and movie. Why not just make dinner at home with your family and simply sit together at the table and chat. Do we even pray together as a family anymore? We can get so busy we not only don't have enough time for family, but for God. When we leave Him out, we are simply missing out on more life, more joy, and more blessings.
Instead of wishing away our time. May we pray for today. May we take today and enjoy each moment we have together to the fullest. When is the last time you simply laughed until you cried? When is the last time you just took your husband by the hand and went for a walk? Maybe take a friend for a swim?
We think our time is so busy, but we are the ones with the schedule in our hands. Instead of penciling in all those things we think are so important, may we erase them, and put in time for our family. For God. For our friends. For our church family.
Time passes so very quickly. Just as I am writing, the moments are ticking away. Those that are gone we can not get back and instead of wishing for more, may we just simply enjoy now as if there was no tomorrow. We live as though tomorrow will always be, but that is not a promise. Make today count. Make today matter. Make today just as special as yesterday and more important than tomorrow.
