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Life is a precious thing. What makes life even more precious and special
is that we never know when it is going to end. We can be here one moment
and gone the next. That is the unpredictability that comes with life. We
sometimes make plans and think about what we will be doing years from now
without realizing that tomorrow can be our last day. I do agree that we
should plan ahead, but we should also be conscious of how special today
really is. We should do all that we can to make today as special as we
possibly can. (James 4:14)
How do we do that? We do it by appreciating our life, our family, our
friends and doing all that we can to make sure they know that we love
them. If you were unexpectedly taken tomorrow, would there be regrets in
your heart? Would there be something that you wish you would have done,
but never got around to doing? I'm sure many of us will answer yes. If
you did answer yes, then you should do what you have been meaning to do
for so long before. Now is your opportunity. (2 Corinthians 13:11-12)
Sometimes we just need a gentle reminder to slow down, look around and
realize how short life really is. I know it seems long when we're going
through it, but if we look back on our life, years have gone by that seem
like only minutes ago. Be encouraged to take time and do those special
things that have been in the back of your mind. As simple or as complex
as they may be, you can make time to do them. Don't wait for next week,
next month or next year. Today is your opportunity to get started on
being a blessing to others as well as to yourself. (Galatians 6:10)
I hope this message inspires and challenges your heart to not wait for
tomorrow to do what can be done today.
A DATE WITH THE OTHER WOMAN
After 21 years of marriage, I discovered a new way of keeping alive the
spark of love. A little while ago I started to go out with another woman.
It was really my wife's idea.
“I know you love her,” she said one day, taking me by surprise.
“But I love YOU!” I protested.
“I know, but you also love her.”
The other woman my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who has been a
widow for 19 years. The demands of my work and my three children had made
it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night, I called to invite
her to go out for dinner and a movie.
“What's wrong, are you well,” she asked? My mother is the type of woman
who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of
bad news.
“I thought it would be pleasant to pass some time with you,” I responded.
“Just the two of us.”
She thought about it for a moment, then said, “I would like that very
much.”
That Friday, after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit
nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to
be nervous about our date. She waited in the doorway with her coat on. She
had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to
celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as
radiant as an angel's.
“I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were
impressed,” she said, as she got into the car. “They can't wait to hear
about our meeting.”
We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and
cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady.
After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large
print. Halfway through the entree, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting
there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips.
“It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said.
“Then it's time you relaxed and let me return the favor,” I responded.
During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation – nothing
extraordinary - just catching up on recent events of each other's lives.
We talked so much that we missed the movie.
As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I'll go out with you again,
but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed and kissed her good night.
“How was your dinner date?” asked my wife when I got home.
“Very nice. Much nicer than I could have imagined,” I answered.
A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so
suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her.
Sometime later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt
from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: “I paid
this bill in advance. I was almost sure that I couldn't be there, but,
never-the-less, I paid for two plates --one for you and the other for you
wife. You will never know what that night meant to me. I love you.”
At that moment, I understood the importance of saying, “I LOVE YOU” in
time, and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in
life is more important than God and your family. Give them the time they
deserve, because these things cannot always be put off to “some other time.”
Author Unknown
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
Galatians 5:22-26 “...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified
the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us
also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one
another, envying one another.”
Matthew 5:5-9 Jesus declares “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit
the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:
for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain
mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed
are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth
not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself
unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things,
believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity
never faileth...”
All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.
Today's Selected Poem: HE GATHERS EVERY TEAR
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/enpoem98.htm
Today's Selected Testimony: HE HAS A PURPOSE FOR US
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony153.htm
In Christ’s Service,
Dwayne Savaya
God’s Work Ministry |
