daily devotional

How much has your life changed? Are you missing something you once had which is no longer a luxury you’re afforded?

Ya’ll know me by now. You know I’m a generally ridiculously positive person. People tease I wake up farting rainbows, even before my morning coffee. But yesterday morning I had myself a little moment. It was a dangerous combination of being all alone and scrolling through my Facebook memories. It was a reminder of all I’ve lost. My two oldest children are far away in the military and I have no idea when I will get to see them again. My prodigal daughter left our family almost a full year ago and we’re still praying for her return. I haven’t heard her voice or seen her face in over 7 months. My daddy went to heaven and my mama is safely quarantined an hour away from us. For the past 2 decades, these are the 5 people who have been our world. Now, it’s just my husband and I.

Is it okay for me to say I just miss them? I miss what was. I miss the kids coming home from school, piling up on the couch with all their friends and eating everything we had in the pantry. I miss planning weekends with my parents. I miss the noise. I miss the happy. I miss the chaos. I miss what was.

What are you missing as your new normal is setting in?

I bet most of us are missing things we never even noticed a month ago. Things we once wished away. Things we were annoyed or burdened by. Now, we want it back.

What will happen when some of these pieces fall back into place? What will happen when the kids all go to school again, the restaurants open and jobs start back? What will happen when those who are working endless shifts right now to keep us alive and keep us functioning go back to a normal schedule with time at home? What will happen when going to the grocery store is just another mindless task?

What will happen? How quickly will we forget we missed it all?

Lord, don’t let us be on this perpetual roller coaster ride of only wishing for what we don’t have and missing what we do. When we’re up, we miss the down time. And when we’re down, we miss the high. Teach us to just be on the ride and savor exactly where we are.

My BIG Life sister Jewel text me a new song yesterday. I have since listened to this song a minimum of 10 times. “Keep Me In the Moment” by Jeremy Camp. Jewel had no idea the timing of this song and how it happened to come on a day when I was longing for moments that had passed, causing me to miss the moments I have.

I’ve been thinking ’bout time
And where does it go
How can I stop my life from passing me by, I don’t know
I’ve been thinking ’bout family and how it’s going so fast
Will I wake up one morning just wishing that I could go back
I’ve been thinking ’bout lately, maybe
I can make a change and let you change me
So, with all of my heart this is my prayer
Singing oh Lord, keep me in the moment
Help me live with my eyes wide open
‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me
Singing oh Lord, show me what matters
Throw away what I’m chasing after
‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me
Keep me in the moment
Oh, keep me in the moment
Keep me in the moment
‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me

Here in this moment, God has something for you. But if you’re not in the moment you will miss it. What have we been missing, how much of life has been passing us by, because we’re not in the moment.

I don’t want to miss what God has for me today. We’ve been talking a lot about our “daily bread”. We are beginning to understand the provision of God’s hand on a daily basis as the guarantee of future provision has been threatened. There’s no promise of a job for tomorrow. There’s no promise of health for tomorrow. But today we woke up to provision for this day.

Let us remember with today’s provision of daily bread also comes God’s provision of purpose for today. Don’t miss it. He has something for you today. A mission for you. A blessing designed just for you. And this is something just for today. Only today. Will you be there to capture it?

Will you be in the moment to receive?

Or will you be stuck in a moment that has already passed wishing you could have it back?
Will you be overwhelmed imagining moments yet to come where God’s had of provision has yet to be revealed?

What is happening to this moment right here when we’re wishing for the way things were or worried about the way things will be?

What if today, right here in the middle of what IS, we open our eyes wide to the beauty of this moment. Is it perfect? Maybe not. But maybe in ways it is.

Maybe there’s total perfection in the face of your child still at home with you. I miss that.

Maybe there’s total perfection in the job you get to work today, however stressful it may be, there are many who are missing that now.

Maybe there’s total perfection in your routine that gives you opportunities you never had before.

And maybe you shouldn’t miss this.

Life has changed, but life is always changing. Kids grow up. People get older. We’re all 100% certain of a future of death. But we’ve got this one shot girls, one shot. One shot at this beautiful life. Let’s stay in the moment. Let’s place all of this in fully capable hands of God and trust him with every detail of our lives.

Let nothing be wasted on you today.

If God is offering beauty, don’t let it be wasted. Open those eyes fully and see the new leaves budding on the trees. See the tulips waking up for their long winter’s sleep. Hear the birds singing their song declaring spring is here. Hear the voices of those you love and just take a moment to be right there in the moment, listening, appreciating, living.

Because at some point, all of this will change again. What we have today we will not always have. The only way it’s not wasted is if you stay in the moment while you have it.

Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Here we are in real life circumstances fitting of a movie, and God is showing us the path of life. He is showing us how to live. He’s stripping away things so we can see better. He’s slowing down time so we see what we have here in the now. And if we stay here in this moment, we will find joy in his presence. He has eternal pleasures at his right hand. Enough for today and every day to come for all eternity. Stay here, in the moment, to receive the provisions, the purpose, the beauty and the joy specifically for this moment in your life.

John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The devil wants to steal what you have now. He wants to kill relationships. He wants to destroy dreams. He wants to steal opportunities and moments. Don’t let him in. Protect what you have. Protect your family. Protect your time.

Jesus is still here with an offer. An offer of not only life, but an abundant life. A BIG Life. The only way you’ll get it is found here in this moment.

I miss what I had. Some of those things I will never get back. That’s just the truth. Life has changed, now what I do with this change is up to me.

Your life has changed too. Now you decide, what will you do with this change?

Will you seek God for the best path he has planned for you?
Will you be faithful with today’s steps on that path?
Will you stay fully present with exactly what is and seek the goodness here?
Will you remember all you have today is not promised for tomorrow, so stay in the moment so you don’t miss it today?

Lord, keep me in the moment. Help me live with my eyes wide open, because I don’t want to miss what you have for me.

Lord, help me to make a change and let you change me. Keep me in the moment.