Always Looking Forward

As a little child I remember how I couldn't wait to grow up. I would read books that had characters in them who were 10 or 12 and think that they were oh-so-old. Now, looking back 12 seems like nothing :)

As humans, it seems we are always waiting for something. The next weekend or vacation. Christmas or birthdays. Summer or winter break. Then there are the more defined, once-in-a-lifetime things, such as becoming a teenager, beginning to drive, graduating high school, getting married, having a first baby, being a grandparent, etc. The possibilities are endless, and there is always something that we seem to be looking to the future for.

Unfortunatley, what I see in my own life is that while I'm looking forward to the weekend, I miss the precious moments that fall in between one weekend and the next. While I was waiting to drive, I missed out on many amazing sights from the car window. While I was waiting to graduate, there were so many times in my high-school life where God was blessing me richly, but I didn't even take the time to notice. It's almost as if I've wished parts of my life away because I have been too busy waiting for something else to happen. There are so many little things in our lives that get left unnoticed because life is just 'too eventful'; like when I left the house yesterday and my little brother ran up to me, gave me a big hug, and told me that he loved me. It was such a sweet moment but I was in such a hurry to get out the door that I really paid him no mind.

Now, mind you, I'm not saying that we should never look forward to anything. In fact, as Christians we are called to await the coming of Christ: "You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect (Luke 12:40, ESV)." But even while waiting for the return of our Saviour, we should not be like those who go into secluded places and sit and wait for His coming. Rather, we should live to the fullest every moment that God blesses us with. Take time today to stop and smell the roses and don't rush on with life. I can guarantee that if you hurry through life, always looking forward but never noticing where you are, you'll look back in 30 years and regret the little moments that you missed.

-Ashley Kate