McKinley (2nd from the right) got married two weeks ago today--and beside her are her two beautiful sisters and equally beautiful mama. And later today, the daughter of another dear friend is getting married.
All of this reason for JOY and celebration! But also amazement--where did the time go? I can see McKinley right now as a preschooler. She loved to walk on her tippy toes and ate sandwiches with nothing but mustard on them. And then there's Blair. She's getting married today. Well, she should still be a tiny, precious twin girl, always flanking her identical sister and trying to keep up with her big brother. And then there's the daughter of another very dear friend whose wedding will be coming in August. Sweet Caroline used to spend the night with us and always wanted a light on in the bedroom.
Not to mention my daughter's graduation from high school in June. Who would have thought it? Who would have dreamed it? Back in that ICU as she lay unconscious, and us told to expect feeding tubes and wheelchairs for life--and here she is about to graduate and go to college in the fall?
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory..." (Eph.3:20-1)
All these happy transitions are wonderful. Simply wonderful.
But still--where did the years go? When did we say goodbye to the endless diapers and the little pink bows and Goodnight Moon and ballet classes and naptimes and balloons at Harris Teeter and kick the can games? What happened to the legos and sticks made into guns and cinnamon toast for breakfast?
It's easy to become melancholy if you consider what has come and gone. But that's clearly the wrong way to see it. No! It's the joy of all that God has given us in our lives--so much fullness of love of family and friends. Stop focusing on what is gone and instead fix your eyes upon all that God has done and is doing in your life.
We choose our focus and that focus determines whether we will feel bitter or blessed.
Dr. Suess once wrote: "Don't cry that it's over; smile because it happened." I love that.
I recently read Ann Voskamp's words: "You don't always get always. You get awe."
And "If you don't take it all as a gift, you end up taking it all for granted--which amounts to not taking anything from life at all."
We are none of us promised tomorrow. Nor tonight. Nor even the next hour.
But, as believers, we are promised that He who gave Himself for us, will be with us forever, even to the ends of the earth. We are promised His strength and joy and peace and hope and love on this journey of life. We are promised eternal, abundant Life. We are promised His perfect peace and presence and power. And we are promised, through the gift of His Holy Spirit, that we can do all things through Him who strengthens us.
So today, I choose not to cry that my children are growing up and away... I choose to smile and rejoice that it has happened. I choose to laugh at the crazy, extravagant gift of my husband, my children, my siblings and family, my dear friends. Who could have dreamed or imagined that God would give me the gift of such extraordinary people in my life?! Who could deserve such joyful extravagance of love? Certainly not this sinner saved by grace.
But that's it, isn't it? Grace. All by grace.
And so we smile that it happened. These friends. This family. This busy, unpredictable, ever changing life. These weddings. These graduations. These losses and gains.
"Consider what great things He has done for you." (I Sam.12:24)
We may not have always... but we have awe at His goodness and grace. And so we rejoice at His gifts and trust that He has our tomorrows in His hands of blessing.
To God be the glory.
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