Our lives tend to be ordered according to a calendar, where a day comprised of hours gives way to weeks, which fit into months, which make up a year. We mark on our calendars events of significance, whether they are annual events such as birthdays or holidays, daily events such as a dinner date or work meeting, or milestone events such as weddings or graduations. As we think about our lives, it is easy to think in terms of these various increments of time. However, some of the most critical events of our lives take place not in a year, month, week, day, or hour. Not even in a minute, or a second.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians of a future event for those in the church when “we will all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”. Paul understood that transformative events can and will take place, needing only a moment to create life-changing impact. Moments define us. An instant in time that is so small that it cannot be subdivided, yet in which events take place that have the greatest impact on us.
Our lives begin at the moment of conception – not a half-second before or after. Our lives are changed the moment we see the person destined to become our spouse. Often times a person discovers their purpose in a moment of inspiration and clarity. There is a moment when a heart is changed, and a moment when a mind is convinced that it can accomplish something.
Accidents can also happen in a moment, altering our lives in ways that we might not like. There will come a time for all of us when we will be alive and breathing, with hearts beating one moment, yet the next moment our bodies will be lifeless as death claims another. While our obituary may list dates for our birth and our death, we should never forget that it is moments that make us, shape us, and define us.
Proverbs 27:1 tells us “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” How true that is, since we don’t even know what can happen in the next moment. Yet if we can reflect even briefly on how significantly our lives are transformed in a moment, perhaps we can then begin to place more value on making the most of the moments that we are blessed to have. These moments are the building blocks of our lives, and none of us knows when our final moments will occur, so we really should make the most of them when we can.
Be kind whenever you can. Appreciate beauty when you find it. Love those closest to you, whether they are near or far. Give thanks to God. Live without fear. Then may the cumulative effect of the moments in your life create life-changing moments in the lives of those around you.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron