On a recent trip to Sarasota, we shared a wonderful experience on the beach with our Aunt Amelia, at least my wife and daughter did. As we journeyed closer to the surf, I could hear the crunch of the sand beneath my shoes. I had my limits and went as far as the water’s edge would allow me. On the other hand, as quick as I could say let’s go back, I held three pairs of women shoes and sandals in my hands. They took hold of everything the beach had to offer; sun, sand and ocean and left me in the dust or rather the sand. In fact they left so fast that I thought they were part of the beach. On the other hand, there were limits for me on this particular day, because I only visited the beach because it was close by the shops, I had taken my family too.
Barriers for me, were blessings for my family. They were willing to immerse themselves in the grandeur of the wet sand between. their toes and the shifting waves beating against their ankles. They posed for pictures in front of the horizon and ocean view. You could see the silhouette of the white waters breaking mid-way before reaching them. On the contrary I was imprisoned by a pair of brand-new shoes. I thought to myself, “what if they crease in the front or get ruined by the sand once I place them back on?” “I’m good, no water or sand for me,” I thought to myself. Before I knew it, I could see the three figures of my family slowly fade in the distance. They were gone and didn’t look back, as I agonized with the sound of crashing waves behind me. In this moment I experienced a shift change; having the opportunity to experience the bliss and connectedness with my family, I choose the temporary, which resulted in losing the moment. All for what? A pair of shoes! Have you experienced something similar; regretting a lost moment with someone you care about for something temporary?
There are moments in our lives when we can miss out on intimate times with family or the beautiful nature that surrounds us simply because we allow material things or lack of adapting to the moment to take place. Things that could be postponed become the priority over the simplicity of family time. Live sporting events take center stage instead of enjoying the atmosphere of a birthday. The gentle afternoon walks with those you love sits on the back shelf because it seems more of an intrusion. The absence of reading a bedtime story results in a missed opportunity to connect with your children in the primary years. Can you recall when you were a child and experienced a cherished connection with those who cared for you? Perhaps memories like that are few and far between, yet your time can become a gift today. Make the memories you want, then share them with others. The most valuable gift we can ever given anyone is our time.
Don’t miss your moment today; slow down and enjoy the embrace of a gentle hug. Please don’t permit the nudge of a child wanting to play be ignored because of a fixation on social media, or the current affairs of the world. I pray you don’t look back to find the footprints on the surf expecting their permanence. Hold fast to each moment with a loved one; appreciate each interaction of a smile with a stranger.
God created us with mirror neurons that instantly connect emotions during our daily interactions. We hold the capacity to spontaneously cause others to smile when we smile. Our brains were created with the ability to interpret facial expressions and attach them to feelings. Our facial gestures speak to the heart and communicate how we feel to others. Test how many smiles you end up reflected at you by the end of the day. You possess the power to bring joy by igniting a renewed passion by your actions. Enjoy the beach today, by helping to build the sandcastle of others. Look for ways today to help someone by becoming the sunlight you were meant to be.
Here is a thought, “Don’t invest your life on things that don’t last. Remind yourself of the countless blessings God has given you without asking.” Each morning journal three things you are grateful for. Decide to surf on the grateful wave, I guarantee the ride will last longer. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalms 100:4,5 NIV). Gratitude and ungrateful are both contagious, the difference is gratitude continues through your family lineage while ungratefulness dies with you.
Eckhart Tolley stated, “Most humans are never fully present in the now because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss your whole life, which is never not now.” Intimacy is lost when we refrain from the present with those we love and others we encounter daily. Mary’s sister Martha experience such a moment of the “never not now.” Like a shooting star that passes once in a lifetime, the star was in her very presence. Jesus was an honored guess at their home and both sisters made a choice to serve Jesus. Mary served at his feet and soaked in every heavenly word that flowed from his mouth. Each word spoken brought life to her spirit. Martha on the other handheld the sudds in the kitchen prioritizing cleaning and serving rather than embracing the moment with the Lord.
Let’s go back to a moment in time as scripture reveals this contrast.
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
In verse 40, you sense Martha’s frustration because of Mary not preparing and working alongside her. Martha was distracted by what she had to do that she missed enjoying the presence of Jesus. It’s not what we do for Jesus that matters on the contrary, Jesus is more concerned with what we do with him. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abided in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). The time we spend with Jesus will be reflected in all that we do in all areas of our lives. In other words, the more light a tree receives from the sun, the greater its capacity to provide shade for more tender plants around it.
Today let’s avoid excuses and make the time with our loved ones. As we grow closer to Jesus allow his love to flow through our daily interactions. Let’s use Martha’s story as an object lesson of what not to do. Her vision was clouded by the preparation of her home. Don’t be enamored with how clean your home is that you miss the gentle knock at the door of your heart. This was illustrated by Martha, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me?” We must weigh our distraction that result in a callused heart, which results is separation. We have to take ownership and make the moment by learning from Mary; spending time with Jesus, family and friends is far more important than everyday tasks which always come and go.
The origin of anxiety and depression stems from control. The desire to control the moment or outcome is like holding back a wave in the ocean. Instead of being discouraged about the enormity of what you will face. Jesus taught this simple truth to Martha when she agonized regarding all the things that needed to be done, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one” (v. 41,42). Today learn to simplify your life. Always begin the day recalibrating in prayer, listening to God’s voice in the stillness as he speaks to your heart and meditate on his word for direction. Mary made the correct choice and seized the moment by doing the one thing that mattered. She found stillness in the presence of Jesus. If time was a currency the greatest investment flows in this order: Jesus, family, friends and community. It’s ok, let the leather shoes fill up with sand and water. Allow the sun to beat down and fade them as you explore and enjoy all that the beach has to offer with family and friends. As I learned from a close friend of mine, Arnold Hougland, “Carpe diem”, seize the day.
Dive Deep:
- What are some distractions that have been holding you back from spending quality time with those you love and what matters most?
- From a scale of 1-5 (one being the least), what would you rate is your quality time with Jesus?
- List two things that you could minimize that would help you cease the day with family and friends.
- Would you categorize yourself as a Martha or Mary? Explain.