Moment. That word means so much more than just passed time. Have you ever thought about that? How are you spending your moments? Those times in your life that are filled with rich meaning. Not just the hours that pass by in a days’ time but the memories made and the feelings experienced in that passing time. That is what I am talking about when I say ‘moments’.
You know those phrases? “This is the moment we waited for” or “We live for moments like this.” These moments can last a minute or an hour. They look so different across the many seasons of our lives. So many of our moments are filled with joy and expectancy. Then there are those moments that bring us to our knees in gratitude and thankfulness. There are also moments where we look up and say thank You Lord, and there are moments where we are on our knees in desperation and don’t know when the moment will end.
My favorite moments are those spent with my family – where the minutes actually turn into hours and the hours actually turn into all-day events. The moments that make me smile the most are usually the ones that are filled with simplicity. You know those times when the world just feels right? Using chalk to write a simple message on our driveway to encourage the passersby. Spending time going for a walk by the lake with our kids while they bike beside us. The still small hours of the early morning. The quiet prayer sessions in the evening time. The moments filled with laughter and the faces dusted with flour and sugar as we bake in the kitchen during the Christmas season. Those sweet moments. But, then, there are also those moments that take our breath away. The moments that scare us or that create fear in our hearts. It’s the phone call. The breakup. The betrayal. The lie. The question marks. The unknown. And it’s in those moments where our hearts break, our faith is shaken, and our fears assail.
Moments can make us and they can break us. They build us up, make us stronger, and create a wealth of love and joy in our hearts. But they can also tear us apart, bring tears to our eyes, and make us question and doubt our purpose. When you picture your moments, whether filled with laughter or pain, who is in your moments? Who fills the stories of your lives? What types of people fill your moments that you wish would never end? What about your not-so-great moments? And don’t all of those moments make us who we are? They challenge our perspective and grow our faith.
It’s amazing to look back over the moments and realize that whether we are experiencing joy or sadness, there is one true constant – a sweet God. One who is right there in the midst of our journeys helping us battle through. He stands with us in our mountain moments and with us in our valley moments. He is the Creator of our sweet times and our Comforter of those times that hurt. There is such a peace in knowing that we are not alone in all of our moments. Moments come and moments go, but He remains. Looking into the year ahead, I want to challenge you to find meaning in each of these moments for you. How are you spending your moments?
Erin Nash, MS, EdS, APC