Carpe Diem!

 "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." – Ps 118:24

Last Sunday was a very special day in the life of our family – one for which I am deeply thankful.  My husband had the opportunity to baptize our 17 year old son.   You may wonder why a pastor’s kid would wait until he was 17 to be baptized.  Frankly, I was starting to wonder myself, but he is an old soul and takes his faith pretty seriously.  I guess it makes sense then why he waited.  I was glad that he did because it reminded me that God writes the story…not me.  As I read through Ben’s notes Saturday night I was thoughtful about the fact that when I surrender the story to God, I rather enjoy the turns and find ease in the stride because I am not the one trying to control the outcome. 

When it came time for Ben to share his testimony and be baptized, I grabbed the camera and started clicking away. I mean, that’s what you do, right?  It was such a special time for which I had waited long for and I should be basking in the glory of God's gracious work... but, well… a part of me…missed it!  You see, I became so distracted trying to CAPTURE the moment that I couldn’t just BE IN the moment.   I’ve added these poor quality pictures because they're all I have, which is the reason I even wrote this today.  I wish I could have seen the motion in that hug, or of him going down into the water and back up, but instead I have a blurry still-life snapshot.  These are a good visual reminder of how we can lose focus and perspective when we get distracted with the “minors” and miss the “majors” of life’s little moments.

Pictures are important because they help us remember, but sometimes it’s more important to put the camera down and show up to the party-  carpe diem or seize the day!  This Thanksgiving I want to do just that.  Sure I will take pictures but more than that, I want to be present with those I am with.  I want to seize the day and see what God has in store.  I’m willing to bet it will be easier than trying to navigate a perfectly scrumptious turkey, a beautifully set table or a wonderfully baked pie.  The best conversations seem to allow room for our imperfect worlds to collide a bit, and they usually happen when we are less concerned with centerpieces and allow for  mismatched silverware or a boxed stuffing, and well….sometimes I just have to remember that life is often only half-baked but there is beauty and perfection in the moment when Christ has room to enter in and be a part of it all.

This Thanksgiving let’s

 

...Carpe diem!