ORDINARY MOMENTS
ORDINARY MOMENTS
Saw an interesting report the other night on the evening news. I try to only watch about thirty minutes of the daily news, if that much, because of all the negativity. I watch just enough to “know” what is going on in the world. But this report was different and touched my heart. It was about a lady named Deanna Dikeman who had taken pictures of her parents waving goodbye since 1991 in their driveway. They were waving goodbye when she left to go to college, when she got married and moved four-hundred miles away. Pictures of them waving through the window at their only grandchild and so many more. She took pictures for 27 years! What a different, sweet legacy! Her dad passed away and she had pictures of just her mom waving from the same driveway until she passed away eight years after her dad. The last picture of that house and driveway, showed an empty driveway. Her collection of pictures is traveling all around the world, being highlighted in art galleries. 93 goodbyes in all.
Some would say that is sad, but she said the reason she is happy she took all of those pictures, is because it has helped her somehow with her own grief of losing both her parents. She said that “thru her pictures she hopes that everyone will appreciate all the ordinary moments with their dear ones. Tell your parents, you love them. Go visit them or give them a call or text them. Don’t wait until you think you will have time. You never know what might be different tomorrow.” Time is fleeting!
Years ago, I thought I had all the time in the world to call my great-aunt Lena, but actually I did not. I felt that gentle nudge, we all feel from time to time to do something. That is what I felt one day. I intended to call her. But after I went to bed that night, I remembered I had not called her. I had forgotten in all the hustle to get kids fed, bathed and tucked into bed. I thought I will just call her tomorrow. I had forgotten and put it off. It was too late. The next morning, my grandmother called and said she had found my great-aunt dead that morning. It took me a long time to forgive myself for not calling her that night before she passed! It still leaves a sadness in my heart to think about today! I learned a valuable lesson that day.
We are all getting older by the second. Because of an ordinary tragic moment, we all may not be able to get any older past today. We don’t have any idea how long we will be on this earth. James 4:13-14 reads “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit,’ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 reads: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die…” Talking about when the Lord will come at the end of time, Matthew 24:35-36 reads: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Psalm 144:4 reads: “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.”
We do not know when our last second on this earth will be. God only knows. We don’t know if we will see our loved ones ever again. It is always hard for me to see my Virginia daughter and family leave my home or when I leave them and fly home after visiting them. I have family close by but I don’t get to see them often. Their lives are full and busy with their own families. When I do get to see them, I get as many pictures as I can, to remember those sweet ordinary fleeting moments.
If you knew this was your last day, what would you do? Would you spend it doing and partaking of things of this world? Or would you spend it with loved ones, precious friends or spreading God’s promises. No one at the end of their life, has ever said, ‘I wish I would have worked more.’ But rather, ‘I wish I would have loved more, spent more time with loved ones.’ We live a few years and then go to our eternal home. Our loved ones and friends might die unexpectedly. All of a sudden, we don’t have any more time with them.
There are so many older people sitting in nursing homes just wanting someone to spend time with them-smile at them-play a game with them-just sit and listen. Take your children and visit them. At the congregation you attend, do you even know the older Christians. You have heard about them, but have you ever spent time with them? Job 12:12 reads: “Wisdom is with aged men, and with length of days, understanding.” We can’t just throw aside the aged. If we are smart, we will spend time with them. My aging uncle, one time, told me that the church he went to, stopped using him to teach classes or preach. I felt so sad for him and all the knowledge that He was willing to share from his heart. My dad comes with me in a wheelchair to the church I attend. Recently they brought him a microphone and he gave the opening prayer. What a blessing that was!
Is there someone you need to make amends with? Is there someone you need to forgive? Older or not? Is there someone on your heart, you have felt that gentle nudging you need to reach out to? Are you putting off coming to God? Don’t ignore the time you have right now to reach out.
One of these days you will be sorry you did not give a few minutes of your time to those who are in your lives. In the blink of an eye, they could be gone forever. Share ordinary moments with them. You will be blessed and thankful that you did! You never know when the last time you will wave or hug them will be. Don’t be standing over their gravesite regretting the things you should have said or done.
Matthew 7:7 reads: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” Even more important, don’t stand before your God one day and wish you would have, “asked, seek and knocked” for God to open His arms for you and let you in. He is always waiting for you to wave goodbye to this world and reach out to Him. Obey Him now! Don’t wait till it is too late! Don’t be standing in front of God at the end of your life, and thinking you should have spent more time with your Father in obedience to Him!
When are ordinary moments? Right now! What will you do with them?
Till next time!
Keela