Treasure Today

We don’t know the future, and we forget most of the past. Of the past, we will have only general memories with moderate details of pleasant or difficult events. The present is the only time you’ll have all the details of life. There is no other time that we live in the details of our thoughts, emotions, and actions. The present is ripe with possibilities to shape our character and impact our immediate circumstances.

In this season of my life, people are frequently reminding me to cherish each moment as they reminisce on how quickly it all passes by. My friends and family know that my memory is sketchy at best. I can barely remember details of my 20s, and apart from the high highs and low lows, I struggle to recall details.  In my 30s, I had quite a few milestones that made it into the memorable bucket, like marriage and the birth of my son, as well as the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is so much more that I must have forgotten.

Psalm 103:15-16 ESV "As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more."

Life is fragile and it is fleeting. When we are going through difficulties, our "now" feels like forever, but somehow the older we become, people seem to agree that cumulatively it feels very short. Sometimes the present situation or event feels prolonged because God in His wisdom made it so, knowing the beauty of His presence and good that can be found therein. It is only ‘never-ending’ while you are in it. One day, you will realise that the details begin to diminish and that which seemed to have consumed your every thought is over, and eventually will be forgotten.

Psalm 146:4 ESV "When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish."

It is bad enough that we barely remember our yesterdays while we are on earth, even worse is that every thought, plan, desire, and difficulty returns to the earth with us when we pass. I sometimes wonder what scenes of life play out in the minds of older persons whom God has graced to get to that stage. As they navigate the closing scenes of life do they think it was well lived, and what are the details that dominate their minds?

How precious is our now. How precious is the one time that we get to live and experience the fullness of life! My husband and I are blessed to have our hearts warmed when we embrace or are embraced by our children. We are flooded with gratitude and contentment when we smell their hair, feel the sticky fingers of our toddler, and deeply inhale every noisy, chaotic, and overwhelming moment.

The present is where challenges cause us to keep our thoughts on God and whisper quiet prayers in our hearts, as we are pressed to turn to God for the little details. 'Do I respond via text, should I call, or do I begin the conversation with an apology?' Today and each day we live to experience the substance and depth of life because tomorrow is unknown and the past is forgotten.

Will this life and your present realities see you fulfilling God's call through your patience and endurance? Would the present be one where you are called to navigate the raw emotions of grief and loss as you physically and psychologically feel their effects?

I am learning to immerse myself in as much of the moment, because trying times produce character, and the good times give us beautiful memories. We can't rush time forward and neither can we relive the past. We must make a conscious effort to ensure that beautiful moments don't pass us by. You need to inhale all of the fullness of 'today' because we should not skip the growth that comes with controlling our thoughts and using our tongues to speak health and goodness over our lives and family, even in the direst times.

In my present, I am soaking in the toddler tantrums, the midnight feeds, video calls with friends, and conversations with my family. Live in the moment and experience the fullness of the grace of right now that God gives each of us. Treasure Today!

Luv Ya!

Krystal Baynes-Hoseinee

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