Time...

by Debi Baker


Thanksgiving has come and gone.  Tomorrow is December 1st.  How is it already December?  When I was a little girl I couldn't wait to grow up.  My precious mama would always tell me, "Debi, don't wish your life away!"  She didn't understand; how could she?  She was a grown up.  I was tired of being a little girl.  I wanted to be the mommy.  I wanted to have a little girl of my own.  

Fast forward, I got married at 17.  Had my first baby at 20.  I was finally a grown up!  Oh, but Mama never told me that after the babies come is when time decides to start flying by!  It seems like just yesterday that my babies were living in my home with me.  The house was filled with baby laughter and toys!  

Fast forward again, one by one, each of my beautiful babies get married!  They have babies of their own.  Now I relive my babies through their babies.  Oh, but it doesn't stop there.  My grandbabies are now growing so fast.  My oldest granddaughter is in college.  My youngest is already almost 2.  And somewhere along the way, my folks became 'elderly.'  How does it happen!  

Yesterday, it seems as if we were celebrating the arrival of spring!  Now, it's almost Christmas!  They say 'the older you get, the faster time goes!'  Boy, isn't that the truth!  

Ecclesiastes 3:1-7 NIV

"¹  There is a time for everything,

    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,

    a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³     a time to kill and a time to heal,

    a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,

    a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,

    a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,

    a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,

    a time for war and a time for peace."

The truth of the matter is...none of this should surprise us.  It's right there in the Word of God in black and white.  James 4:14 NLT tells us, "⁸ ...Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone."  

Sometimes I just sit in awe of how good God has been.  He blessed me with amazing parents, a wonderful husband, 4 fantastic kids who married great spouses and then, He gave me 12 grandchildren.  I am truly blessed by God.  I pray that I will one day have great-grandchildren.  But, I have to be careful to not wish away their lives!  I want each of my people to have their own chance to be who God intended for them to be.  And my days on this earth already have an expiration date.  I can't change that.  Only God knows when that date is, but I pray it's a long way off.  Oh, it's not because I don't want to see Him face-to-face!  I can't wait until that day.  But, I pray God will allow me to continue to enjoy my people...my family!

There's an old song sung by Mac Davis.  It's called "Stop and Smell the Roses."  A couple of lines in the song are, "You got to Stop and Smell the Roses, You've got to count your many blessings everyday."  Taking time to stop and enjoy creation and purposing to take it all in is a great way to remember how good we really have it.  It makes enjoying life that much easier.  Sit back sometime when your family is gathered together and just watch them.  Commit what you are seeing to memory.  There is nothing I love more than watching my people interacting with one another!  Especially after watching the fussing and fighting that went on when they were little.  To see them actually 'liking' each other thrills my heart!

Today, I challenge you to remember that time flies by but we don't have to fret about it.  I challenge you to 'stop and smell the roses.'  Enjoy each and every day of your life!