Joy for Now

I have a friend who is getting ready to move. I am excited for the new adventure ahead of her and her family but also sad that she will be further away, and our time together will be limited. As I’ve thought about and prayed for her and her family, I can’t help but think about how transient this life is. Friends, work, hobbies, it all comes and goes. Things around us are constantly changing.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a huge fan of change. I get comfortable doing what I’ve always done. I like my circle of friends. I like my job. I like writing and creating. And because I like these things, I tend to think they are mine to control and engage with on my own time. I take my friends and family for granted, assuming they will always be there. I gripe about something at work, as if I’m irreplaceable. I write for myself, neglecting the call God has given me to use this talent for His glory.

I do this until I’m hit with the hard truth that these things will not last forever. Why does it take seeing the obituary to regret never grabbing that cup of coffee and catching up? Why must I be rebuked before I’ll change my attitude at work? Why do I ignore God’s commands until obedience is my only option? I act as if I have forever to get my life in order and do the things that please God. But the fact is, life changes fast and a lot of times we don’t see it coming.

I don’t want to regret not making time for coffee. I don’t want to look back on my life with bitterness or think “I missed it all.” In John 10:10, Jesus tells us that He came so that we “may have life and have it abundantly.” God has a perfect eternity prepared for us, yet He sent His Son so that our life here on earth would be abundant. He has put good things in our lives like family, friends, church, work, and hobbies so that we would experience joy now.

So often we miss out on this joy because it wasn’t part of our plan. Just tonight, I refused to play hide-and-seek with my kids because I was filling out my planner for the next week but only hours before I posted a baby picture of my youngest (now 3-year-old) asking where time went!

Grab the coffee. Play the game. Find joy in each moment. Life changes too quickly to put those things on hold.