Appreciation

I have a lot to be thankful for – a fantastic wife, great kids, wonderful parents, and an awesome group of friends.  I wish I could experience them all in one place…my idea of heaven!  What a great party it would be, an extended season of celebration for sure. 
 
It is ironic how life seems to be in the way.  A combination of the daily chaos with deadlines and commitments seems  to consistently bring results which are very different from my ideal.  In the midst of taking a break I find myself looking back at various yesterdays.  What was so important on any given day in the past?  Why did I miss Whitney’s program?  Was there something more important that sharing a special moment with Carli?  Couldn’t anything be more important than Cherry’s birthday?
 
It seems that there was because I wasn’t there.  Yet I wonder if I really walked in a way consistent with my values and priorities.  In hindsight I don’t think I did.  I see battles taken on that were not mine.  I find myself making commitments nobody asked me to make or honor.  Even the good stuff was laced with ambition, greed, and price.
 
There is an alternative.  While not being able to go backwards I can learn from yesterday and apply it to today.  I can leverage the blessing that comes.  I know each morning is the beginning of “the Day God heals his people of the wounds and bruises from the time of punishment, [when] moonlight will flare into sunlight, and sunlight, like a whole week of sunshine at once, will flood the land.”  (Isaiah 30.26) 
 
I can celebrate what is – the people in my life, the experiences at hand, the wonder and beauty in each moment.  You and I have incredible opportunities all around us.  We can be the difference, even if it is a simple act of kindness or the gift of a smile.  We can hold onto the people God gives us – sharing compassion, mercy, and love as if there is no tomorrow.  We can appreciate what is.