Do you ever miss an important moment because you’re preoccupied? Something else grabs your attention: Facebook, TV, a text, or a tweet? I’ve been there too. But for me the thief is often more subtle. It’s an attitude that robs me of engaging in the now, being present in the present. Let me tell you about a moment I almost missed.
My granddaughter, Madison, was three when the rose bushes drew her in. Cupping a Barbie-pink blossom with both hands, she nestled her face into its petals. I knelt in the dirt yanking weeds that invaded my flower garden and my sense of justice. Even Madison singing my name didn’t soften my attitude.
“Meema, your woses smell so good.”
“Be careful, Madison, don’t smash it.”
The day before, I’d returned from a weekend trip to a cluttered home. Now, the overdue weeding stoked the fires of my martyrdom to a rolling boil. I have to do everything around here. I live with the laziest people on earth. And, why am I raising my granddaughter? I, the victim. I, the under-valued. I, so sweet and blessed just days ago at a women’s retreat.
Mid-pity party, I turned to see a bush half-stripped of roses. My face flushed hot.
Madison twirled. Eyes shut, head back with pony tails poking straight out, she raised her arms, palms to the sky. Rose petals fluttered from her hands and floated to the ground. A pink path meandered around the other two bushes, now nearly naked. Silky shades of pink to white blanketed the brown mulch and covered those noxious weeds that wanted to rob me of the moment.
Wobbly from her dance, Madison tried to stand still. Her blue, wide-open eyes admired her work. “Oh, Meema. Isn’t it boo-tee-ful?”
The harsh words rising up in me had already dissipated. “Yes, Madison Grace. It’s absolutely beautiful.”
Eyes off myself, I embraced God’s gentle reminder to take it all in. But I almost missed it.
Selfishness can lock us into a martyr mentality, a victim mindset. It’s an attitude that blinds us and binds us to thinking life is all about me. My comfort, my happiness. A me-centered world is quite small and in it, no one else measures up.
As a Christ follower, I’m called to mirror the attitude of Jesus. When I study His character and seek it, He keeps me selfless and sacrificial. When I remember my mess before asking Him to guide my life, I’m grateful for each day.
Is there someone who needs you to be fully present? Maybe a spouse, a friend, or a parent? Remember, roses grow back, but people grow old and children grow up.
Choosing abundant life in Christ empowers us to live fully in the now. Sometimes we’ll mess up. But we press on because we don’t want to miss one more breath-stealing moment.
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” –Oogway, Kung Foo Panda
Photo from Pixabay.com
Our grandchildren seem to be some of the best professors that the Holy Spirit sends to instruct us in the greatest spiritual truths. When we do carelessly fail a class they are so loving and forgiving to teach us at another time.
Yes, they are good teachers if we’ll watch and listen.