June! For most schools, this month concludes the academic year, and graduation celebrations abound.  Two of our six grandchildren graduated kindergarten this month. Before we know it, they will be moving the tassel at their high school graduation.

Time is precious

But do we fully appreciate how quickly the days roll into years?

This year Jeff and I celebrated our 41st anniversary. Looking through photos of when we were the young family with children keenly reminds us how fleeting time is. Family and friends are more precious to us than any material possession or temporary pursuit. The older I get, the more this is amplified.

 

At a recent follow-up appointment for leg injuries sustained in a car accident, my doctor said something that renewed my sense of urgency for appreciating each day God has gifted to us. I went in with a cloud of “June gloom” hovering over me. Noting how sore I was, he asked what I’d done over the weekend.

“Well,” I said, “on Saturday we went to three little league games at three different ballparks to cheer on three of our grandsons.” I fully expected him to urge me not to push myself so much as my body heals. Quite the contrary!

“Good for you,” he said with a beaming smile. “Memories don’t just happen, they’re created—even when it’s hard!”

 

His words resonated deeply with me and subsequently, to my husband. We want to live fully and faithfully invest the time God has given us. Being prayerful and intentional to prioritize our time and energies into what honors the Lord.

I don’t want to waste a moment (much less an entire day) because my weary flesh resists doing simple things that bring joy. I want my loved ones—and yes, even strangers—to benefit from the Lord moving in and through me.

So, when a need comes up to help our kids or spend time with their families, unless we have a prior commitment, the answer is … yes, absolutely! We will be there.

 

When you think about it, daily life continually presents us with opportunities to be a source of joy for others. Consider some of the ways we can layer simple moments of pleasure, one upon another, to create lasting memories.

For your husband …

Make a special meal for your husband. His favorite! Dress up, fix your hair, set the table with your best dishes. Pick some flowers, light a candle and play music that stirs sweet memories of your courting days. Top it off with his favorite dessert.

For children and grandchildren…

Be present when you’re together, devices shut down or put away. Listen. Dialogue with them. Ask prompting questions they can respond to about their day, their struggles, their hopes.

Being there at the games, the performances, the activities they love, speaks volumes to them. Make time for family night as often as you can. Pull out the board games, watch old movies, make cookies. Go out for ice cream and a walk. Have a spontaneous “campout” with the little ones—it can be as simple as making a blanket tent under the table or sleeping bags in the back yard!

For friends and neighbors…

Do you enjoy baking? Why not delight them with some freshly baked treat for no particular reason. Have them over for an evening of bbq, games and good conversation.

 

I know these are simple suggestions, and I’m confident none of us are lacking for creative ideas to make lasting memories.

As believers, each of us is an ambassador—a representative of Jesus Christ. What would Jesus do? We know that He “went around doing good” (Acts 10:28) and we must do that too. Even when it’s difficult or inconvenient.

We serve Jesus by serving others, and my doctor’s unexpected exhortation was just what I needed to hear. It prompted me to remember that it is always and only because of God’s mercy that we are given another day. Another twenty-four hours to breathe in His grace and fulfill His will.

 

No greater joy

The most important memory we can ever create—especially with family, is the continual awareness that no matter what we are going through or how we feel, we love Jesus and desire to honor Him in all we say and do. I never want to neglect, be thoughtless, or misrepresent Jesus through my words and actions. I want to be a reflection of Him to those around me.

Recently my grandson Owen, who is just learning to read, was riding in the car with me. He proudly pointed to a yard sign that he could read. “Look Grammy! That sign says ‘I love Jesus’! They love Jesus like we love Jesus!”

Truly. For me? No greater joy or legacy.

 

These are the days

We are living in difficult days and Jesus said it would not be easy (John 10:10) but He is with us. He gives us abundant life. He fills life with joy—in Him and for Him. So, let’s live faithfully for Him, here and now. Even when life is hard.

Time is precious and these are the moments and days we are gifted. Before we know it, Lord willing, there will be high school graduations…weddings…even the births of another generation being ushered in.

We don’t know what tomorrow brings, but we know who holds our future. Lord help us to fully redeem the time today! Make those beautiful memories.