How are you living TODAY?

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33



I realized something tonight. I live in a world surrounded by people who take life for granted on a daily basis, including myself. We are fast to yell, fast to get angry and slow to love or forgive. People walk around bossing one another around, disrespecting loved ones, and often push away those who love them the most because of fear. The night I learned my daughter had died had started out as a typical Saturday morning in our house. We woke up to the sounds of our other three children playing in the living room and sneaking their little faces into our room, hoping their breakfast was soon to come. Like most Saturday mornings, it was the arguing of who got to watch which cartoon going on that usually woke us up.  Needless to say, it never quite put me in the best of moods when I woke up. I got out of bed, fed my children and got dressed. I am sure that as I left the house that morning for my baby shower I had not been the nicest mommy to my other children. I never could have imagined that my typical Saturday morning would have ended anything but typical. I remember the nurse bringing Bethany to me after the drugs had worn off. I gently laid her on the bed and unraveled the blanket they had her wrapped in. I could not believe she was really gone.  I examined her perfect lifeless little body, her toes, fingers, legs, arms, head and face. I then dressed her and wrapped her back up and gently held her close to me. As I was sitting and just praying tonight, I realized all I missed with her. I never rolled her over and looked at her back. I never checked for myself to see that she was really a little girl. I wish I realized the reality of that being my only moment, my only chance, my only day with her. I should have examined every inch of the perfect little miracle that God had so perfectly created inside my body. God has shown me firsthand how fragile and how short life can be. If you knew today was all you had would you live it in anger or fear? If today was all you were given would you push away love just because someone has hurt you or let you down. We live in an imperfect world with a PERFECT God! Tomorrow is no guarantee; today may be all you have. Don’t let today pass you by. I have so much to still work on in my own life. I have so much around me to be grateful for and yet I’m not sure I tell the people I love the most how blessed I am that God has given me another day with them in my life.  Life is not always easy and obstacles will undoubtedly come your way.  Choose to overcome those obstacles by allowing Christ to rule in your heart and show you the blessings in your life.