Enjoying the Present

In the past two months we have celebrated birthdays for both of our children. I cannot believe that my baby is 6 and my first born is 8. Sometimes it seems like they have always been with us. Other times it seems like just yesterday they were babies. They should still be about 3 and 5. Where did the time go?!

So much has changed in the eight years since I became a mom. My whole world turned upside down and inside out the day Nathan was born. I look back now at how exhausting and challenging those early days were with two little ones only 22 months apart, and I wish I could have them back. Isn’t that funny? I miss watching Baby Einstein and Little Einsteins with them. I miss holding them in my arms (without hurting my back) and having them toddling around my feet.

So, on Nathan’s birthday, April 1^st, I was reminded of a recent devotion from our student minister during a family night at church. He encouraged us not to dwell on the past but to embrace the present. This really helped me to put my thoughts into perspective. I can dwell on the desire to have my children be babies and toddlers again (and be sad) or I can celebrate the ages they are right now. Wishing they were babies again is futile. It accomplishes nothing. Enjoying them at 6 and 8 accomplishes much.

Yes, it’s perfectly okay to reminisce over sweet memories, but they shouldn’t make us sad and long for the past. They should make us eager to make every moment count. Knowing that the days go by so fast should be reason enough for us to embrace every moment. Ephesians 5:15-16 says “Be very careful then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…” So I pray that God will help me to make the most of the opportunities that I have with my children now…for tomorrow, they will be grown.