“We have this moment to hold in our hands and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand.  Yesterday’s gone and tomorrow may never come, but we have this moment today.”  Songwriter Bill Gaither / Gaither Music penned these words approximately 25 years ago.  When I first heard them  I was far more taken by the melody and the emotion in the voices  than the meaning; youth has a way of missing some important stuff.  Today, however, while the melody lingers and the emotion is ever near, it is the meaning that captures me most. 

On two occasions in the past 5 years I’ve personally “realized” the inexpressible gift of each tick of the  clock.  Once was the amazing experience of learning I might be looking in the faces of my family for the very last time; life was present, but seeming to slip away.  Once was standing with those family members watching the clock signal less and less liklihood that a precious life would even begin.  To say the very least, those experiences have evoked much change.

So, here’s the bottom line:  Whether you’re 20 or 80, time is a most precious gift.  And running parallel to that is the fact that the list of things that last forever is extremely short.  As best as I can tell this is it…

• Right relationship with God
• The love I give to and legacy I leave for family
• The quality and quantity of service I offer to others

I’m going to live my life in light of that list, giving my best time and energies to those simple, everlastingly significant things.  Not tomorrow, not a little later, but now!  After all, it really is the only moment I’ve got.