Have you ever noticed how much of life we save for later?
We save the beautiful dishes for company. We save the expensive bottle of wine for a special occasion. We postpone the trip until work slows down, the phone call until we have more time, and the things we really want to do until some future season when life is less complicated.
The problem is that life rarely becomes less complicated.
After decades of caring for people near the end of life, I have learned that the things people miss most are often surprisingly ordinary.
They miss sitting at their kitchen table. They miss hearing a familiar voice on the phone. They miss walking outside, laughing with friends, and having nowhere particularly important to be.
The moments we rush through today are often the ones we would give anything to have back tomorrow.
I think that should change the way we live.
Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” Matthew 6:34
There is wisdom in preparing for the future, but there is also wisdom in refusing to postpone our lives until everything is perfect.
Use the beautiful dishes.
Take the trip if you can.
Call the person you keep thinking about.
Sit outside and watch the sunset without doing anything productive.
Tell people what they mean to you while they are here to hear it.
An ordinary Tuesday is still part of your life.
We spend so much time waiting for the big moments that we can miss the sacredness of the small ones.
Perhaps living with an eternal perspective is not only about preparing for heaven. Perhaps it is also about becoming more awake to the life God has given us today.
There is more waiting for you at drpamela.com, where I share resources and reflections to help you live with greater intention, purpose, and eternal hope.
