When Sara and I were first married and had little kids, old guys would come up to me and say, 鈥淓njoy this time. It goes by so fast.鈥�
A couple of weekends ago, my oldest daughter got married and my youngest was the maid of honour, and now I am the old guy who is saying, 鈥淭hey grow up so fast.鈥�
How did this happen? It seems like only a couple of years ago that Sara and I were the ones standing at the front of the church building exchanging vows and dreaming about our future. (Incidentally, I wrote this on our 24th wedding anniversary, so it really was a while ago).
I had a sporty car and I remember feeling badly for the old guys riding around in minivans. Now, not only is my sporty car long gone, but I have been through the minivan stage and have progressed to the dreaded SUV.
Not that my children growing up is a bad thing. Sara and I have thoroughly enjoyed every stage along the way. From play parks, to the first day of school, to high school graduations and family trips, we have had a lot of fun. I expect that the next stages will be fun as well.
The point, that I am just now starting to understand in a real way, is that the next stages just keep coming. As much as I might have liked to stop time and keep my two little pigtailed girls forever, that is not an option. Time keeps ticking and no matter how long you live, it is going to seem like it went by very quickly. As scripture poetically notes, 鈥淵ou are just a vapour that appears for a little while and then vanishes away鈥� (James 4:14).
This is not meant to be a sad message. It is simply a reminder that there is no time to waste. Therefore, maybe it would be a good idea to pay attention to the joy that is around us each day and get ready for the eternal home that is coming.
As 1 Peter 1:24-25 says, 鈥淎ll people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.鈥�
