The Gift of Time

I am in a reflective, sentimental place, and one app you can depend on to fan that flame is Google Photos. In the last couple of days, I have looked at a snapshot of the last 11 years of my life.

Some photos brought instant joy, and some were reminders of what once was. It's funny how you can see a picture and experience immediate emotion, remembering who you were or where you were, even if the captured moment includes a smile. Smiles, because in most cases we feel like we have to, tend to hide broken hearts, severed relationships, and unexpected loss. A smile is also a representation of hope, because even the worst situations are temporary.

In those photos I saw family members that I will never see again on this side of heaven, and ones who are living but feel so far away, they seem dead. There were celebrations of birthdays, weddings, accomplishments, and holidays. The pictures and videos that were most impactful were authentic, unexpected, and unplanned; random family selfies being goofy, impromptu YouTube karaoke nights, and my husband and daughter sucking helium from balloons singing happy birthday on Father's Day - memories that are very alive in my heart.

That is the beauty of time. Although I will never be in my twenties again, I can relive those moments through video or photos. First days of school look different now that I have teenagers, but I will never forget the nervousness they both experienced on their very first day. My friend circle has drastically changed, but it does not alter the immense impact those previous relationships had on my life.

In reading this, I hope it is a reminder to take those photos and videos, but don't do it at the expense of you being fully present in the moment and in your life. Keep smiling in those captured moments being reminded that this current pain is temporary. I encourage you, after that smile fades, to sit in the discomfort of your current situation. Feel it fully and deeply, and let it pass through.

If your current condition is happiness and joy, pull it into your heart so that you have a reserve and memory of the warmth and the light you feel. When darkness tries to creep in, return to this place.

The gift of time is real, measurable, and certain. It waits for no man or woman. It is quick, fleeting, but can be cherished, enjoyed, and valued. It is the one thing we cannot earn, replace or redo, and it holds secrets for our future and our legacy. It can be used to build or destroy, to grow or diminish. We choose how we spend our own currency, and the stories that remain when we are gone continue to sow seeds of wisdom, precaution, or there could be no stories at all.

Time, do not miss it, and do not take it for granted. We are all doing life together, but our time is very individual. Make it a priority to discover what has been placed in your heart to plant in the earth. Allow your legacy in time to be wise and kind words, your gifts, your authentic smile, healing, wholeness, and a strong foundation for others to build on. Sometimes we forget it's not about us, it's about who is coming next. We have been given a great gift, let's not waste it.