Friday, October 23, 2009

"Be there"

There are these moments in life when our present situations seem to blur with our futures. I know this because it is exactly what I am experiencing right at this very moment. I spend a good bit of every day planning Chris and I's wedding; if not planning, then talking about it; if not talking about it, then thinking about it; many nights I even have dreams about it! There is a constant tug between "today" and "tomorrow".

I see this in other people's lives, as well. One of my best friends is pregnant and you can just feel the anticipation as she anxiously waits for the birth of her baby. My aunt has battled for years with an illness that has robbed her of precious time with loved ones, and the longing for a time of health and recovery is so evident in her.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are moments when we get caught between the present and the past. We want to go back in time, and if not, we beg that the present would at the least, slow down. There is a young man that Chris works with that just had his first child with his young wife. He was notified at work that his wife laid down for a nap and never woke up. So here he is, with a 3 month old child...alone. How he must beg to have his wife back. My grandpa spent years caring for his mother in a nursing home who had exceeded 100 years of age, probably wondering each and every day if it would be her last.

Scripture is very adamant about the fact that we are to "number our days"(Psalms 90) because,"As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone..."(Psalms 103). Reverend Dr. D. James Kennedy sums up these two passages in just three words..."Be all here". But how do we do it? How do we live in the present when the excitement of the future pulls us forward; or worse, when the hurt of yesterday holds us back?

I have found wisdom on this subject in both Rob Bell and James Dobson. Pastor Rob Bell seems to believe part of the answer lies in throwing more parties and eating more food. Seems strange, right? In a world where we are trying to tighten our wallets and loosen our belt buckles, who can afford to spend money on parties and eat more? But in essence what he is saying is that we need to stop, gather around the table with those that we love, and enjoy eachother. Find out what is going on in eachother's lives, divide the burdens and multiply the joys.

Dr. James Dobson's told his grown son that of all the advice he could give him about life, there was one thing that mattered most, one thing he wanted him to remember above all others...and that was to "be there." When I first heard this, I thought he was talking about being in the present, but I was mistaken. The"there" he is speaking of is heaven. He tells his son that he prays that one day he will be standing on the inside of the gates of heaven and see him walking through. He is advising his son to remember that of all the ins and outs and ups and downs of life, Christ is what matters most. And by putting Christ first, our "present" becomes filled with things and people worthy of our time. Our pain does not go away, but it becomes bearable; the excitement of our future doesn't decrease, but is actually increased by the joys we experience today.

There is a commercial on TV right now for life insurance that basically says that despite the economic state of our country, we can always count on there being weddings, funerals, and new babies. There is a lot of truth in this commercial, but I pray that the insurance you keep throughout your life is the assurance of knowing Jesus Christ.