What's Your Measure?
Life flies by so fast....My son Steven and I were shopping in Wal-Mart tonight. He needed dress clothes for a Home Coming Dance he is going to. My mind began to wander to years past. Steven was always my shopping buddy, always willing, always easily pleased. Now Steven is 18, practically a man. He is still easily pleased, but he no longer has interest in hanging out with his mama, and shopping just doesn't hold the appeal it used too. Spending time with him these days is far and few between, and that's OK. He is growing,maturing and changing just as he should be. He has developed his own life and interests. It does my heart well to watch him progress; but it saddens me too, that those care free days of shopping, and ice cream cones, kickball games and riding big wheels are gone forever.
In hind site, I wish I would have realized how quickly my time with my children would go. I wish I would have spent more time enjoying and less time being busy with things that just don't really matter. Like, did I really have to make sure the dishes were done immediately after dinner every night, or was it so important to have a spotless house or that all the kids toys were perfectly put in place? Nope, looking back those things really had no meaningful impact other than regret. I f I had to do it all again, those dishes would sit and I would have spent time playing board games or cards with my kids. I would have cherished time to talk and laugh with them over a clean house and I would play with the toys along side of my children if given a second chance.
Once a moment is gone it's gone forever, this can be a sad thing when we waste our moments. God created us, placed us in His beautiful earth and gave us everything we need to live happy, successful, contented lives! What is our measure of happiness, success, and contentment? Do we measure it by how much we have, what position we hold, and if our lives are running smoothly? If this is our measure we are bound to be disappointed, all of those things are temporary and could be taken away at the drop of a hat...then what? How we measure these things needs to be rooted in the eternal...Our relationships with God and others, how well we love, and faith. When we use these measures of success and are striving to live from the eternal point of view we will find we take less for granted, we see time, material possessions and positions in their proper perspective. They are just things.
Think about this: what if you had every single thing you've ever wanted, worked hard to get it all your life, persevered through trials and finally GOT every THING you wanted, but in the process you forsook all your relationships, justifying it that you just didn't have the time! Well here you are king of the mountain so to speak, your standing on top... but...You are alone. Alone with all your things. You though getting all this would make you the happiest person in the world! As you shout from your mountain you realize there's no one around to hear or share your accomplishments. Sad, but that's just the way many of us are going through our lives.
Take some time today to examine your life. Where do your priorities lie. What is most important to you? I am not saying that having things, doing things, or having a career is bad. It only becomes bad when they are out of order. Loving God first, then others, is the only order for success and contentment...everything else will fall into place. God is our only source of true lasting peace and contentment. Seek Him first, You will not be disappointed!
In hind site, I wish I would have realized how quickly my time with my children would go. I wish I would have spent more time enjoying and less time being busy with things that just don't really matter. Like, did I really have to make sure the dishes were done immediately after dinner every night, or was it so important to have a spotless house or that all the kids toys were perfectly put in place? Nope, looking back those things really had no meaningful impact other than regret. I f I had to do it all again, those dishes would sit and I would have spent time playing board games or cards with my kids. I would have cherished time to talk and laugh with them over a clean house and I would play with the toys along side of my children if given a second chance.
Once a moment is gone it's gone forever, this can be a sad thing when we waste our moments. God created us, placed us in His beautiful earth and gave us everything we need to live happy, successful, contented lives! What is our measure of happiness, success, and contentment? Do we measure it by how much we have, what position we hold, and if our lives are running smoothly? If this is our measure we are bound to be disappointed, all of those things are temporary and could be taken away at the drop of a hat...then what? How we measure these things needs to be rooted in the eternal...Our relationships with God and others, how well we love, and faith. When we use these measures of success and are striving to live from the eternal point of view we will find we take less for granted, we see time, material possessions and positions in their proper perspective. They are just things.
Think about this: what if you had every single thing you've ever wanted, worked hard to get it all your life, persevered through trials and finally GOT every THING you wanted, but in the process you forsook all your relationships, justifying it that you just didn't have the time! Well here you are king of the mountain so to speak, your standing on top... but...You are alone. Alone with all your things. You though getting all this would make you the happiest person in the world! As you shout from your mountain you realize there's no one around to hear or share your accomplishments. Sad, but that's just the way many of us are going through our lives.
Take some time today to examine your life. Where do your priorities lie. What is most important to you? I am not saying that having things, doing things, or having a career is bad. It only becomes bad when they are out of order. Loving God first, then others, is the only order for success and contentment...everything else will fall into place. God is our only source of true lasting peace and contentment. Seek Him first, You will not be disappointed!
Comments
Thank you for the reminder.
xo,
Donna