Cherish the Moment

“We are a people of jugglers. We juggle family, work, friends, commitments, responsibilities, relationships. We don’t take the time to ‘cradle’ moments, experiences or even the people we love.” I’m paraphrasing here from a brief recorded inspirational message by Sheila Walsh of Women of Faith on KLove. Struck by this sound bite, it became my most recent “aha” moment.

What a lovely visual! Cradle the whirring beats of a hummingbird’s wings as he hovers over a flower – God’s dual creation in the bird and the blossom – both fleeting – hang on to them! Cradle a child’s upturned face, lashes dark against perfect skin, little white teeth shining in an uninhibited grin. Extend that moment for a couple of heartbeats – be reluctant to let it go. Days flip by, a blink of the eye and the moment is gone. Cherish a phone call from an older child, a relative or a loved one – breathe in the sound of their voice, their laugh across the miles; picture in your mind their face and their mannerisms. Hold them all in your heart.

Cradle the time spent with a friend – a friend who may be hurting, who may be ill, someone you don’t see often enough, or someone you see every day. Whether laughing together or crying together, embrace the minutes or hours you are together. The fragility of life cannot guarantee another meeting in this lifetime. Cradle it.

Cradle your ability to think, to see, to hear, to feel. Some are not so fortunate. God created us to be marvelous beings. Think of your hands, your feet, your brain, the workings of your body – and marvel. Cradle the magical aspects of your creation, the miracle of life. Hold your beauty in your hands as you would a newborn baby.

Take moments to cradle your time spent with God – in prayer, in Bible study, in quietness. It may be the best part of your whole day – hearing the whisper of His voice, feeling His comfort, His forgiveness, His Spirit, His being.

When we juggle all the “hats” that we must wear in this life, when we don’t cradle moments and people, we find that we’ve come to the end of our lives with a muddled mind and very tired arms. And really, now what was it all for? Did we enjoy and cherish the moments that God gave us or were we too busy keeping balls in the air to even notice? Drop the balls and cradle those people, those take-it-to-my-heart pieces of life that need preserving. Time is short. Do it now.

“You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro. He bustles about, but only in vain. . .” Psalm 39:5-6a

"I DON'T FIT!"

My sister is holding out an ugly pair of orange Crocs, size 12, which she insists are mine. She tells me to put them on. I keep telling her that I wear a 7 ½, and that the shoes are not mine. They will not fit. She insists they will. It’s quite a battle of wills. Then I wake up, shaking off the silly dream.

We are sometimes expected to fit into a preconceived mold which may not be us at all. It could be at school, at work, at home, socially, or professionally. Young girls’ images especially, are challenged constantly through TV, movies, and magazines that scream, “You can’t be too thin, too blond or too rich!” Our youth is striving for unattainable image goals and suffering greatly for it.

There’s a Christian song out called “More Beautiful You.” A verse goes like this:
“You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you.”

God made each one of us individually – no molds. It took me years to learn to be myself, not what someone else expected me to be. God was good to me – he gave me intelligence, a love of learning, compassion – and red hair. OK, so I didn’t get the gorgeous face, but I’m happy. God gave each of us talents and traits that belong only to us. He lovingly created us – and just like snowflakes – not one of us is completely alike. We were made in His image. How can that be at all imperfect?

It’s OK to be ourselves. It’s important that we be ourselves. Many times we learn more from the characteristics we don’t have than from the ones we do. We turn to God for help in our deficiencies, asking Him for guidance and knowledge and insight and discernment. He blesses us with these things as we need them.

Young people will learn that image isn’t everything. The love of Jesus Christ shining from within is what people will remember. The people we are drawn to are those who reflect an inward light, caring for fellow men, comfortable in the skin that God gave them. We WERE each made to fill a purpose, each one of us. Prayer and a daily relationship with our Lord will reveal that purpose.

In God’s sight, we are all beautiful. We are all perfect. We are God’s children. We are meant to be who we are. Determine your purpose and do all you can to fulfill it, asking God’s guidance and strength, praising His holy name.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts….and be thankful.” Colossians 3:15