If you know me very well, you might be able to guess that one of my favorite treasures from this past week was the gorgeous weather we had on Sunday. Just a few days removed from the bitterly cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills that led schools in the area to close, the warm weekend was quite a welcome respite. I definitely had to make the most of it! After worship services that morning, I headed to the lake to go for a walk without even needing a jacket. Then I chose a picnic table overlooking the water to read, journal, and pray, trying to soak up as much of the beauty as possible. Somehow views like this always bring a little extra peace to my soul.
I knew the glimpse of spring wouldn’t last long, so even though the teaser made me want to count down to the real change of seasons, I mostly wanted to be sure to take advantage of the short time of sunshine and warmth I had in the moment.
The urgency to make the most of a beautiful day is good for my spirit, but it’s reminding me of a much more essential and needed awareness. Our church is in the middle of a sermon series right now called “One Month to Live,” inspired by a book of the same title by Kerry and Chris Shook. It is challenging me in so many ways, and I keep coming back to our theme verse of Psalm 90:12. The New Revised Standard Version articulates it this way:
“So teach us to count our days
that we may gain a wise heart.”
Life is short. We are wise to remember this fact, yet we so often lose sight of its truth in the midst of our busy lives. What if we lived every day with full awareness of the brevity of our time on earth? How would it change our priorities, our actions, and our relationships? How would I go about my life today if I knew I had only one month left to live? What do I need to do differently in appreciating that my life is “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”? (See James 4:14, NIV84.)
As I’m longing to make each day count, I’m reminded of a song by Chris Rice on this theme as well. (And I have to admit, the nostalgia of looking up his entire “Short Term Memories” album that I hadn’t listened to in years was a bit of a treasure, too, even if it dates me!)
Life Means So Much by Chris Rice (click to listen)
“Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
Somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much…”
I don’t want my soul to forget. Life is short, so let’s make it count. And as Galatians 5:6 reminds us,
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (NIV84)
How are you making the days count? What is one thing you would do differently if you had just one month to live? Is there someone you would you reach out to in love? What action can you take in that direction today?
I pray the treasures of giving and receiving love will overflow your heart this week!
Bonus Treasure: The following blog post definitely resonated with me in my current stage of life, but I think it’s worth reading no matter what your age. We can all use the extra reminders to live life to the full wherever we are, making the most of the time we’ve been given.
What My 40s Are Teaching Me by Christine Bailey
As always, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message. I’d love to hear about any treasures you are discovering from day to day as well!
This was such a good reminder!
At first I thought that if I only had 30 days I would jump from the plane, bungee jump, white water raft — why not! But I realized that puts all the emphasis on me and focuses on the end not the power of living. I think my big concern would be legacy — what have I done for others? Have I done anything to make the world a more Godly place? Am I Abel or Cain? What gifts have I brought to the altar?
Thank you! I love how God has so many different ways of reminding us what's really important.
Good thoughts! Thank you for sharing. I think we all can have that first idea of a selfish kind of "bucket list," but when reality sinks in, the things that are truly important become bigger, and everything else fades away. Maybe that's why we need these reminders so often. I appreciate your comment!