Last night, we spent a solid hour (maybe longer, I lost track of time) looking through old pictures and videos on my computer. The kids were smaller…and so was my waistline.
There is something therapeutic about looking through old pictures and reliving the memories that you captured on film or on your phone. Most of them I could remember why I took the picture and maybe even how I felt in that moment of time.
The joy. The fun. The overabundance of selfies.
Then there were the ones where I didn’t remember the purpose of the picture, where it was taken or how I managed to grow apart from some of the people I was once so close to at the time of the photograph.
I think we forget how short life truly can be. We hear it…think for a fleeting moment and then we go back to cooking dinner, picking the kids up from practice and trying to fit a weeks worth of stuff in 24 hours. There were so many pressing items on my “to-do list” last night, but it helped this mama to take the time to laugh with my kid at silly pictures and revisit fun moments in time…to just not have “something to do”.
We need to slow down, even though life doesn’t.
We need girl time.
We need dates with our significant other.
We need play dates with the kids.
We need time with the Lord, everyday.
Those are the things that count the most.
My memories with the Lord are some of my most fond ones. Yes, it may require me getting up a little more early than I would like some days…like 4 o’clock today. However, that time with Him allows me to reflect on where I’ve been and thank Him for the blessings of life. Even better, I don’t have to worry about growing apart from Him because life gets in the way….I’ll always recognize Him! More often than not, I am late getting a start on my day because I have lost track of time when studying the scriptures. The joy that comes from spending a few moments with Him each day beats any Throwback Thursday or Man-Crush Monday. Are those even a thing now anyway?
Makes this a “thing” today….slow down. Relax. (Trust me. I’m writing this in hopes that I will listen to myself). Enjoy life a little more. It’s short, even on the longest day.
Make memories with Jesus, too…those are eternal. Those are the photographs that have purpose…that never fade in our minds or from the memories of those we meet. When we measure our days, we make each day count even more!
Psalm 39:4 (ESV) “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”