Seize the Day!

On Thursday, Wesley and I went back to Cuthbert, GA where he graduated from Andrew College. My eyes were awakened to all the places he talks so fondly about. He has so many memories of going to school there. He talks more about his two years at Andrew than his 5 years at Mercer. He still keeps up with a few guys he graduated with, but there's not many from Mercer that he's still in contact with. David Seyle, the Academic Dean from when Wesley was at Andrew was inaugurated as Andrew College's 21st President. Wesley has many fond memories of sitting in this man's office and as he says, "shooting the breeze".

Wesley's close friend Chad, who graduated with him, works at Andrew and is moving to Washington DC. Our trip had a duel purpose, to share with this man whom Wesley has always looked up to and respected in a very memorable day of his life, and to visit with Chad and his wife Jill before they move.

We sat through an hour and a half long ceremony with an 8 month old on my lap listening to the biographies of the speakers lives and then of Dr. Seyle. We were surrounded by much older people who were retired or about to retire. They spoke of their "glory days" and what they did when they were younger, what life decisions they made and what accomplishments they have achieved. I couldn't help but think about my husband and our life together. If we were to write a biography of our lives now, how different the page will be in 20 or 40 years from now. My mother commented to me the other day, that in 20 years our daughter will be my age and I'll be my mother's age. It's not hard for me to imagine being her age, but it is REALLY hard for me to picture my daughter at my age! What will have happened in those 20 years? Where will life have taken us?

When I look back on my perception of how my future was going to turn out-I didn't have a clue! If you would have told me 15 years ago that one day I'd be married to the tall, skinny, cross country runner who came and played Axis and Allies with my dad-I would have laughed in disbelief. If you would have told me 10 years ago that instead of graduating from college in four years that I'd go on a life adventure that would end in so much sorrow, I would never have believed you.

I never would have thought just 3 years ago that I'd be homeschooling one day. I never would have believed 18 months ago, after having a 9 month old baby that I'd be about to get pregnant again. Just about every part of my life has turned out completely different than I ever would have thought. Some turned out worse, because of bad decisions on my part, but mostly it turned out better than I could've imagined-because of Jesus Christ and His part!

What decisions are you making today that will impact your future, your children's future. Should we move into another house? Should I take that new promotion or job? Should I stay at home or work? Should I retire? What school should I put my children in? What church should I go to? On and on our decisions go that will impact us and change the course of our lives. We may all be in different walks of life, but one thing remains the same-none of us know what tomorrow will hold or what changes will happen in our lives. Last Sunday our new pastor spoke on change. He got a phone call one day saying that a close friend of his from his congregation had died of a heart attack at the age of 35. Life happens-change happens. Dr. Seyle said in his speech that the Department of Labor predicts that the top 10% of most wanted jobs in the next 20 years-haven't even been invented yet. The technology that will assist in these jobs hasn't even been discovered. Life changes-technology changes.

We are given a choice, we can either remain in the past always looking back at decisions we made, wishing we could do them differently. We can constantly live with regret and guilt and sadness or anger.

Or we can look back only to share where God has brought us from; what pits He used in our lives to bring Him glory. If it doesn't call for that, we can continue to look ahead and seek God's face for our future. A future in His will doesn't promise a life of ease with no troubles, but it does offer a life full of inner peace. I don't know what my future holds, but I do know Who does. I need to constantly remind myself that I don't have to fear the future or what it may bring or live looking back on mistakes or regrets. Instead I can look ahead and embrace tomorrow and all the blessings it will bring by living a life in His presence.

"Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions,

and enables him to enjoy them,

to accept his lot and be happy in his work-this is a gift of God.

He seldom reflects on the days of his life,

because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart."

Ecclesiastes 5:19-20