Saturday, October 29, 2011

I live for little moments like...

Tonight as we were eating dinner, we made the decision that Jacob was old enough to wield his own knife for the purpose of carving his own meat. The fact that we feed our children copious amounts of beef aside, this isn't necessarily a big moment for us (though it may seem like it to Jacob for a while). It's no bigger than the fact that he's learning to field a baseball or the fact that he's joining his first football team. Similarly, it isn't a lot bigger than the fact that Julia chewed her first piece of gum without swallowing it today! Julia also had her first trip alone with daddy to Sam's. Emily achieved two or three little milestones herself this week in her book reading growth.

Now the purpose of this is not to brag about my children, (but seriously, I need to give that a run soon, because they are GREAT!) The reality is that this week is seemingly bland when looking at the course of their lives, and yet so many things really happen. Clearly, the course of their lives isn't generally altered much by the changes in any given day. The process of growth in our lives is such that very few days carry specific weight or meaning.

Almost all of us live lives of obscurity. While we all have delusions of grandeur, most people will not know what we did on a particular Tuesday afternoon. Now before you let this depress you, realize that there is a set of people you have been given who might just talk about your Tuesday routine at your funeral. There is a sphere of influence that you have been given—a little corner of the globe that is yours to manage. While my relative anonymity is a reality, it is not the reality that I choose to dwell on.

In my life, I have been blessed to be around for my marriage to my wife, the birth of each of my three kids, the birth of a sister (don't really remember it, but hey, it counts), and unfortunately, the death of a few people close to me. The thing is that all of these have had a profound impact on my life, whether or not the majority of the world ever knows who they are or what they meant.

As I look back at those who have gone on (and people, like my parents, who are still around), I know that the way they really impacted me wasn't so much the way they attempted to teach me to ride a bike or hit a baseball (I stink at both) or the way they taught me to pray better or learn Bible verses (though these things are great). The things they taught me that did have an indelible impact on my life only impacted me, because they spent so many "meaningless" hours with me that I valued them and their input. This is when I start to be cheerful and not just because I have so many "meaningless" hours to give.

You see, as much as the deaths of those close to me have impacted me to value the time with those whom I still have around, they also teach me that I can totally mess up when teaching Jacob how to catch a baseball, Emily how to sound out a word, or Julia how to chew gum. The one thing I really need to do is to get off this stupid computer and turn around and talk to them. I need to snuggle up to them while watching a movie for the 500th time. I need to actually participate in the throwing of the baseball with Jacob. I need to value all the small things that have impact and inject enthusiasm into those moments.

And while this is largely about my kids, there are a few others God has placed in my life. And I need to show them a similar commitment. I love them and I pray for them daily, but I also make a concerted effort to show them that I care. I hope they realize it, and I hope that I continue to give time with my family. In fact, I hope I give more. I hope that I don't get consumed in my job (though that is important, too) to the point that it keeps me from that. Because I live for those little moments that are seemingly minute, but they mean the world to my little family!

5 comments:

  1. Another wonderfully written blog, and a great reminder to cherish the small moments in my life.

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  2. This is beautiful. And true. No moment is meaningless. Some are just misdirected.

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  3. I was thinking about this again and a quote that our cousin told me: "The days drag on while the years fly by." I want to enjoy all the moments so that it doesn't feel like I am living for the days to be gone and sad when time is up.

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    1. Which cousin would that be? I do not recall that quote, but it sounds pretty good.

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  4. Which cousin would that be? I do not recall that quote, but it sounds pretty good.

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