Savoring this day...celebrating that day

                                    A little food for weekend thought--
        Right now, I'm thinking of one of many moments in Italy with our girls.  Early one morning, the three of us had jogged/walked up to this magnificent church/monastery and piazza overlooking the city...and, of course, my bird brain cannot remember the name of it (even though it's very famous and the girls repeated the name to me about 20 times.  Thank you, middle age.)  This was the view--

        Actually, this isn't really the view, because my crummy photography skills don't even begin to do it justice.  Take my word for it: it was spectacular.  We walked all around, soaking in the peaceful beauty, and yours truly snapped about a billion pictures...half of which have my thumb featured prominently in front of the photo.
        My girls fussed at me a bit--reminding me to enjoy the view and savor the moment rather than obsessively trying to capture the moment.  Mighty good advice if you ask me.
        Actually, I was trying hard to hold to those precious minutes with my girls in the midst of so much glory all around us.  I recall constantly saying to myself--"Remember this.  Hold onto this. This moment--this very moment right now--is a treasured, golden gift with our girls."  I know I did it imperfectly...but I surely tried to savor with great gratitude each day, each hour on that trip.  Well, except maybe for the looooong plane ride home.
        This reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther that "There are two days on my calendar: this day and that day."  Meaning--focusing upon and living fully this once-in-a-lifetime gift of this present day while also always keeping in the forefront of our thoughts that glorious day when we will see Christ.  We live today...but we joyfully anticipate that heavenly glorious day.
        Because here's the thing: if we'll enjoy that perspective, we'll eliminate futile regrets over yesterday as well as destructive worries over tomorrow.  God's given us this day and only this day--so we are to rejoice in it, love Him and others  on it, and live to the glory of God to the best of our ability on it.  And all the while, when circumstances are hard...or the waiting is tough...or the illness is painful...or the loneliness bears down, we remember that this is not our home.  This is not our goal. This is not the end.  But heaven and perfection and sinlessness and joy and wonder are coming one glorious day.
        To quote C.S. Lewis from The Screwtape Letters:  "The humans live in time but [God] destines them to eternity.  He therefore...wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time [called] the Present.  For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity...He would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present--either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Himself, or else obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure."
        Thank You, Lord, for this day.  Thank You for the joy of eating dinner with those I love...of going to church and hugging dear friends...of walking with our dog on a cool September day...of reading Your Word on a quiet Sunday afternoon...of recalling many happy memories from my trip with our girls.
       And thank You, Lord, for the glorious and certain hope of heaven...when all pain, all sorrow, all sickness, all separation, all tears, all weakness will be gone, and we will experience real abundant, eternal, perfect, wondrous Life with You forever.
        Might we thankfully and fully savor this day...and joyfully and excitedly celebrate that day.
        To God be the glory.