Making Today Count

He spoke with great concern about his son.  His son was in his late 40’s and experiencing much success in his career.  Yet, it was costly.  His dad said, "He’s burning the candle at both ends and when you do that something in the middle has got to give."  He went on to tell me of his concern over his son’s constant, rapid pace lifestyle. 

It is not just successful business people who wrestle with this.  Many of us feel like we are very busy people.

• The university student who has so much to get done.  Papers.  Reading.  Projects. Oh–and we have finals coming up.
• The young mother who races her SUV up and down the streets of her city.  Inside the vehicle, children quickly inhale some food before arriving at the next event.
• The man/woman who starts the day early and is already overwhelmed by all that needs to be done.

I’ve been thinking.  "One day, I will make my final exit."  One day I will exit this earth.  It may be on a day that I didn’t expect.  It may be unannounced and sudden.  OK–I’m not trying to be morbid or dramatic.  I just need keep my life in perspective. 

Given the above, this is how I would like to live today:

• Today, I want to cherish God.  I want to stand on my tip-toes and see what he has done in this world.  The beauty of today’s sunrise.  I want to feel the crisp cold air outside and be reminded that God created all of this.  I want to cherish him above everything else today.
• Today, I want to leave my world just a little better than it was this morning.  I can smile at the lady at Chick-Fil-A.  I can make faces at a small child.  I can encourage the person who I will be having lunch with.  I can call my daughters and say, "I love you."  I can be tender with my wife.
• Today, I want to respond well to the unexpected.  Will someone inconvenience me today?  Will someone "get in my way"?  Will someone act aloof, cool, etc.?  Today, I want to respond well to what I don’t like.
• Today, I want to take care of what God has given me.  I want to take care of my soul, making sure I pray and read the word of God, today.  I want to take care of my body.  I can exercise today and feel good afterward.
• Today, I want to slow down enough to live.  I don’t want to miss the moment because I am always racing ahead to the next moment.  I want to experience what is and trust that the Lord is at work in each moment of the day.

Now of course, I will need God’s strength and help to keep on track with what I just stated.  Otherwise, in my own strength, it will all go away as soon as I turn this computer off.   

Today, I just want to live–one moment at a time.