Special Feature
Jane sat staring at the floor. “If only, I could go back and do it over. I didn’t think it would be this way. Somehow time got away from me.”
Like Jane, we go through life not always thinking about the future. We may not consider how our actions today will affect us- and others- tomorrow. It is not unusual to reminisce and encounter phases of happiness, victories, disappointments, and regrets. As much as we would like to change the past, there are some things we cannot reverse. However, we can choose to make the most of today for the good of our families.
Evaluate Priorities. Do your priorities include investing time with your children? You probably have heard this statement: “Enjoy them now because they grow up fast!” Unfortunately, we cannot retrieve lost time. But we can determine today to be available for our children- to play with them, listen to them, and teach them about Christ. When you are with them, learn what they like, what makes them smile, and their idiosyncrasies. Let it be your goal to make tomorrow better without if only.
In the article, “The 5 Things People Regret Most On Their Deathbed”, Business Insider highlights the research of an end-of-life nurse. The second greatest regret expressed by her patients was, “I wished I hadn’t worked so hard.” They reported remorse over missing their children’s youth and their spouse’s company.
There is a Time and Season. Ecclesiastes 3:1 states, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” This Scripture reminds us there is a time for various aspects of life, relationships, work, and other obligations. There is also a time to think of others above yourself. The events of life do not happen by chance. They are orchestrated appointments under the hands of Almighty God.
Embrace the opportunities you have to engage your family. As the four seasons come and go, so do the seasons of life. Choose to be faithful and productive now. Learn to make the most of the mundane, the celebrations, and the ebbs and flows of life. Do not be like Jane, who looked back with regrets. Think about how you utilize your time and decide to live each day with purpose. The clock of life advances one second at a time. Use each one wisely.
-Vanessa Jones
Vice President & Co-founder of Biblical Marriage Institute
www.BiblicalMarriageInstitute.org
