Too Little Time to Rush Right Through

Our world stopped last night. Uh oh, did your heart skip a beat?  No, don't worry, nothing tragic has happened.  We were simply walking through the store, when an elderly gentlemen stopped to visit with us.  From that moment on, for over a half of an hour, we listened to this man tell us story after story.

At first, I thought we were blessing him by listening.  You know, "if you have done this to the least of these, you have done so to me"???  As I was tempted to notice the world quickly moving about around us, and when thoughts of supper, babies, baths and bedtime stories kept entering my mind, I kept reminding myself of this scripture.

Yes, we were going to stand there and be a blessing to this man.  Onlookers gave me looks of pity and sympathy as they passed us by.  Then suddenly my heart became sorrowful for them.

So busy.

No time.

No room in there hearts.

 I then looked deep into this man's eyes and realized that God sent him to bless ME...to bless my children.  It was up to us to receive this gift!

He told us about his Godly heritage and his love for children. It was like his toothless smile held a secret about Heaven that I haven't even come close to knowing in my short thirty some years of life!  I even noticed a Heavenly aroma and a feeling of the Lord's presense as we listened to this man laugh and tell his stories of old!

He eventually stopped and told me that he was sorry to have kept us so long.  I told him that we were thankful that he did and that he blessed our lives by giving us his time.

The ride home was quiet. I was thinking of the old man.  My children were too, I suppose.  Suddenly my 7 year old says, "Mama, the months go by too quickly." 

A tear slid down my cheek.

Yes, I thought, and how am I spending that time?  Am I rushing through it, missing the blessings God has for me along the way?  Minutes went by and my 9 year old son spoke up, "Mama, the Holidays just wouldn't be the same without you to make memories with us."  His statement took my breath away.  What kind of memories will I be leaving with my children as these months pass by us so quickly?  Will they have stories, beautiful stories, to tell an eager eared young person when they are old?

I tucked my children into bed last night and didn't want to let the moment go. 

 I wanted time to stop so I could capture it and make it last.

But time does go on. The world keeps spinning.   People keep rushing and life goes on.  I will never forget this moment in my life, though.  Today I am going to take that promised tromp through the woods with my children, so when they are old they can tell the story of it....and maybe those times that just seem to fly by, will be filled with memories that seemed to last us a lifetime.

 "It's been said that when an old person dies, a library dies with them. Avail yourself and your children of their years of wisdom at the same time that you are providing a source of joy in the final days of their life."~Marily Boyer "Parenting From the Heart"