“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalms 118:24
My hubby’s hunt of a lifetime — I had the privilege and pleasure to be alongside him and to share the moments.
The seemingly little, insignificant moments of life can instantly turn into unforgettable stories when we remain present.
I enjoy “hunting” with my husband. I don’t care for guns, never have, but I have progressed a tiny bit and now hold my own hunting license. Still haven’t shot a gun however. I prefer the camera!
I watch, I write, I watch, I play games on my phone, I watch…
On this particular cool, foggy morning, I had been following my normal routine when I looked up and saw a deer coming from around a pine tree. It was still well hidden from my hubby’s viewpoint, however, I gave him our personalized hand signals for “BUCK!!!” and pointed stealthily in the direction.
He slowly moved his rifle into position and peered intently through his scope. We had made a deal at the beginning of hunting season: it had to be bigger than an eight pointer or we would let it walk. This one was an eight pointer, but an absolutely beautiful specimen. Definitely a shooter. We watched it for a few moments, then he noticed something moving in his peripheral. Yeah…that’s when all the adrenaline started going crazy in our ground blind.
This guy was heading our way and was intent on defending his territory I suppose because he never even looked our way! My hubby quickly adjusted, shot, and the rest is history. Needless to say, this was his biggest deer ever and I’m letting him get it mounted — even though I hate a deer looking at me while I’m trying to relax.
My point is this: I could’ve missed the moment.
It had happened so quickly! If I been playing my game or into my writing, or sleeping, I would’ve missed out on this great experience with my hubby - missed out on the chance to rejoice with him.
How many moments do we miss in a day because we’re not present. We wait for this to get over with or for that to happen. We dream of what could be or long for what has been. When we do this, we miss the here and now which just might be exactly what we need for a joyful day.
What if God wants us to be fully in this moment and has a certain blessing staged right here just for us, and because we’re distracted we miss it. How many blessings have we forfeited because we have been looking in the wrong direction? How many opportunities to rejoice have we missed out on? I’m guilty!!!
I think of Lot’s wife, she didn’t stay in the moment and as she looked backward, she turned into a pillar of salt. It’s so easy to look back or long for tomorrow. There’s nothing actually wrong with either, but I’m finding there are appropriate times to do so - and it’s never continuously.
I believe we would be much more successful in a lot of areas of life if we stay present. Could we find ourselves happier and rejoicing if we were more present? I’m not saying there are always obvious reasons to rejoice, sometimes we have to be intentional and look for them, but if we’re not living in the present we’ll surely miss out.
How often have we shooed our kids or grandkids away instead of being in the moment with them? How many moments of meaningful conversation have we missed with our spouses because we’ve had our noses in our phones? How many friendships have suffered because we’re too busy to maintain them? What about those missed moments we wasted which could’ve made a difference in someone’s life? What about missing out on God moments during our day because we’re going about it haphazardly?
We need to lasso in our attention to the moments at hand and find more to rejoice about! That’s not just a cup of tea, it’s an opportunity to spend a moment face to face with a friend. It’s not just a supper you’ve prepared to be devoured; it’s an opportunity to sit around the table with your family and talk about your day. A chance to bond. To rejoice. I know, this is heavy. I get it.
I’m so thankful I experienced this special moment with my husband. I also want to experience ALL the moments God has planned for me. Whether it’s with my hubby, grands, children, friends, etc.; I want to look for His touch in my day and make each moment count. I don’t want to be guilty of being so out of touch that I miss His will and blessings for my life. This is so easy to do in the age we live in when busyness is glorified.
Let’s slow down and make quality moments. Be present. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to rejoice.
Be blessed - and count your blessings today.
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