Making Each Moment Count

Six years ago, my husband of 33 years passed away unexpectedly.  It was the darkest, saddest time of my life.  Even though our marriage was far from perfect, we loved each other very much and I have many wonderful memories of our years together.  Coming from less than perfect families, however, we brought a lot of baggage into our marriage that was not helpful.  We were two wounded people trying to help one another as we struggled through difficult times.  It is hard to help someone else, however...when you have no clue how to help yourself. 

Over the past years, I have done a lot of reflecting on my marriage...the "should haves" and the "could haves"...knowing that the past is the past and there is nothing I can do about any of it now.  I would like to offer this advice to other married couples out there:  MAKE EACH MOMENT COUNT.

Time passes by so quickly.  When you are young, a lifetime can seem so far away, but a lifetime can be shorter than you imagine.  None of us are granted one more day on this earth.  All of those things you dream of doing together "someday"?  Do them now.  Don't wait until tomorrow to express your love.  Do it now.

When my husband died, I found comfort in reading my Bible.  To my surprise, I found that my husband had tucked little love notes within the pages of my Bible.  They were notes of encouragement, romantic notes, notes to make me laugh.  They were tucked in random places in my Bible, just waiting for the day I would open that particular page.  I don't know exactly when he placed the little notes in my Bible...but I cherish them with all of my heart.  I later found that he had not only tucked notes in the one Bible...but in ALL four of my Bibles.  To this day, I have not read all of them.  I am still finding them, and reading them through my smiles and tears.

What my husband did demonstrated love to me.  He took a lot of time to write those little notes and hide them away just so I would be surprised...just so I would be encouraged and feel his love with me. It is important in relationships do go the extra mile and do little things to show how much you care.  Don't waste a moment of this life that is so precious and so fragile.  MAKE EACH MOMENT COUNT.

God is the Answer to the Ache in our Hearts

Mankind is aching.   If you don't believe me, just look around you.  Everywhere people are searching for something to fill that void inside.  For some people it is alcohol or drugs.  For others it can take other forms of addiction such as sex, food, gambling, or video games.  Some people believe that happiness can be found in the perfect relationship,
house, job, or monetary possessions. The thing is, when people finally obtain that which they are searching for, they discover that they are no happier than they were before.  They find that they are chasing the impossible, for nothing on this earth can fill the void inside of our hearts.

Only God can fill this void.  This is one of the reasons that God stresses in the Bible the importance of putting him first in all things...in our money, in our relationships, in our lives.  He isn't being mean when he tells us to put him first in our finances.  He knows we have bills to pay, and God certainly doesn't NEED our money.  Actually, it isn't even our money.  It is God's money.  Everything we have belongs to God and we have it because he has blessed us with it. By paying our tithe to God before we pay anything else, we are showing God that we are trusting Him with our finances. 

When Jesus tells us "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me"( Matthew 10:37; NIV), He is not being cruel or selfish.  He tells us this because He loves us and He knows that only He can satisfy the longing of our hearts.  When we put Him first in all things, our lives will be more fulfilling because we will be following God's plan for our lives. In Jeremiah 29:11, God says, "For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

By putting God first in our lives, we can set aside all of the empty promises that this world has to offer.  The promises of this world are so easily washed away, leaving us empty.  God's love endures forever.