Impromptu Reality Check

This morning started off great. My feet hit the floor and I felt like I could get through my work today without too many distractions since 2 out of 3 kids are in school. The weather is relatively humid, but I’m having a great hair day regardless and I’m feeling rather cute in the ensemble I chose after rummaging through my closet as is my ritual in the morning. Everything was in order and well-balanced, and then on the drive back home from bringing Ethan to school, I ended up with an impromptu reality check.

I’m driving along and rockin’ out to my current favorite jam “Pusher Love Girl” by Justin Timberlake (side note: AMAZING album, although I could do without “Strawberry Bubblegum”), and as I’m singing and grooving down the highway, I see a hearse pass by in the lane next to me carrying a coffin. Almost instantly the wind was taken out of my sail when I thought about how at any given moment, that could be me in there. I made the sign of the cross out of respect, and then suddenly, I started looking at today a little differently. Feeling cute, having a great hair day, fretting over repainting my already chipping hot pink and black fingernails, mentally going over my to-do list for around the house and worrying over when my house will finally sell all of a sudden seemed very insignificant, and quite frankly, nonsensical.

I came home and started doing the dishes and asked myself, “What if my life was snuffed out like a wick? It could be at any given moment. What have I done today to make God proud? What would He say about my last moments?” It’s extremely humbling to think that more than likely, He wouldn’t be so impressed with me. How quickly we can forget that life doesn’t revolve around us and all of our “problems”. There’s a bigger picture to be seen and we can get so caught up in things that, in the grand scheme of it all, really don’t matter in the first place. We easily become consumed with trying to control the things we can’t and worrying about what others may think of us. We can look to scripture and find many passages about trusting in God’s will and not being concerned with the matters of the world. We just have to keep reminding ourselves that as Christians, we don’t belong to this world and the seemingly appealing promises this world has to offer are empty and will one day be no more, but God’s love and promises will go on for all eternity. I don’t know about you, but I’m willing to put all my chips down on Him.

My challenge today (and everyday) is to keep myself from being so bothered by the things that don’t matter to God and to focus more on what I can do to make my Heavenly Father proud of me. I know that in my current state, I wouldn’t feel very comfortable approaching the throne of God. He might not have too many good things to say. I’m just thankful that He is merciful and that He’s given me the gift of today to try to be a better version of myself, and I’m thankful for the teachable moments that He puts in front of me. I just have to keep my eyes open for those moments and turn to scripture to find the wisdom and encouragement I need to do better next time.

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timonty 3:16-17