Precious Moments

So here I am sitting by the fire once again. I am going to bed early tonight. Two early days with no naps have taken their toll, and I am a little tired. I still have two days left to work before I get a day off, so I definitely need to get some rest. But today was a good day. I was up by 3:30 for work, then I went to Atlanta Bethel, lunch with a friend and then outreach at L5P. So, I really didn’t have time for a nap. But I don’t mind, time is probably our most precious possession, so it should be treasured and used wisely. But our second most precious possession is our health. What good are all the riches in the world if your health is bad, and your time limited?

Of course, all of our time is limited. We will all die someday, but with good health we can make the most and best use of our time. I was watching a movie the other day and some was talking about sleep. The phrase “You can sleep when you are dead” came out. I laughed at first, because I believe that when we die we will be doing anything but sleeping. But at the same time, I sometimes seem to live by that philosophy. I think that is because I don’t want to miss out on anything important. I had rather get less sleep in order to do the things that I feel called to do. “Who knows where the time goes?” That is so true. Even though I know time is so valuable, I still wind up wasting way too much of it. As I look back on my life, that phrase seems so true. “Who knows where the time goes?” Well, Papa knows, and He can redeem lost time. We should not despair over lost opportunities, instead, we need to just pour ourselves into His presence and allow Him to fill our minds and spirits with His purpose.

But there are certain moments in time that forever shift events in our lives. When these happen we have to change. No one really likes change. Some of us can adapt easier to it than others. One of my strengths is adaptability, so I have a little easier time adapting. These moments that shift events in our lives can either be good, or they can be painful. Julia’s death was one of those moments. My life will forever be marked by that moment. Another more pleasant moment was the day I received Christ. There are many moments, and if you lay your life out you can mark them as if marking a map. So, when one of these moments occurs you must change in order to grow and adapt to your new situation.

Some of these moments take longer to adapt to than others, and some people adapt more quickly. Just because you adapt more quickly it doesn’t make you better or worse, it just shows how you can adapt. I am still adapting to Julia’s death. Last year was given to totally trying to receive healing and acknowledge her loss. Now, it’s different. It’s as if Papa was telling me that I have to take certain steps to press forward into what He is calling me to. It’s like a man running to get on a train. If the train is going by him and he tries to jump on from a standing start, he will not make it. But if he runs and matches his speed to the speed of the train, he can time his jump to get on the train. Right now, Papa is telling me to start running. The train isn’t here yet. I can hear it coming but I can’t see it. I’m just getting a head start, ready to jump as hard as I can when the time is right.

Each of these defining moments in our life is precious. It might be very painful. Of course Papa didn’t cause it, but He will use it to refine and define you if you will allow the process. I’ve allowed Him to do that this past year. I want to always allow Him to mold and refine me. Only that way will I really be ready to press into the next thing He has. The good news is that all things, all things work for good to those who love him. So, if you are struggling, if you are going through a painful event, know these two things if you don’t know anything else. First, God is good, and doesn’t abuse His kids. Second, He will use every defining moment, every precious moment, to refine you and move you more into His purpose and your destiny if you are willing to let Him. My prayer for myself and for you is that we will always let Him.