Savoring the Moment

Time tumbles forward, 
water over the cliff, 
and my life raft  
is all too quickly 
swept downstream. 

January hurtles past,
April, May, August . . .
I cling to the edges
and try not to swallow 
days whole, untasted.

What is life worth
if not lived with purpose?
What if I stay
tuned to winter freeze
when the sun is out?

I say no to that,
missing it all
with eyes on my rights
instead of God’s goals;
what he wants matters!

I will taste each moment, 
savoring Creator’s spice,
following his
instruction manual,
sharing the feast.

I attended three funerals this past month. That is truly a wakeup call, a reminder that we never know how much time we have left on earth. Our reaction can vary from trying to check off all those points on our bucket list: famous places to see, friends to visit, leisure activities to enjoy.  Those are not bad in themselves, because enjoying  our world and various seasons of life is healthy.

But what if we also let God be iinvolved in planning how we use our time? Since he is walking with us, holding us by the hand, continually eager to increase our fruitfulness, what is he saying about his purpose in each moment he gives us? He truly does want every moment of our lives to be dedicated to him, in joy or pain, in solitude or fellowship or out in the world somewhere.

If we want to be “holy,” it means we must be set apart for our Lord, consecrated to serving him. It has “to do with moving beyond the ego with its narcistic concerns and hedonistic interests—a real ‘death to self’.”[1] Living out this holiness thus requires “a selfless openness and response to God’s call in this sacred moment.”[2] Yes, a response! We cannot only learn how we should obey; we must let our mouths, hands and feet live it out!

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:17 NIV)

Viewing every moment as dedicated to God is what makes a moment “sacred,” whether we are washing dishes, writing letters, doing homework, fixing a car, or just responding to the Spirit’s prompting to call someone or to help the person in front of us. It means being alert to the whispers of his voice or the nudge that incites an action. When we begin to notice and respond to this guidance it changes everything: we find joy in doing what he says, and we learn what it actually means to leave one’s self behind. We have a loving Father, so he does astonish us with moments of delight and great surprises. To be complete, he wants us to serve the Word, reaching out in love to others.

⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. ⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  (Jn. 15:8-12 NIV)

Walking through life nourished by our Rescuer’s love, sharing that nourishment with those he puts in our community, this is what gives us complete joy. To accomplish it we must let Jesus take over our lives and direct them, moment by moment. How can we develop that sensitivity to his guidance? It takes practice. Contemplation of the Word that he left us is a solid beginning. Conversation with him, not just once or twice in a day but throughout the day, builds a focus on each “sacred moment.” How is life being dedicated to him? There are many ways to develop awareness of whether one is putting such awareness into practice. Here are a few notes that are helping me become alert as I talk and listen to my Guide:

• Am I fulfilling the responsibilities you have given me? (This could be doing laundry, or carrying out ministry I’ve been given, or caring for myself and caring for others, all day long.)
• What should I do next?
• What time do you want me to set aside, focused on you alone?
• What time do you want me to set aside to reach out to ___________ ?
• What gift do I notice that I want to thank you for?
• Please show me your priority for this moment, and help me to fulfill it!

This is part of “sanctification,” the ongoing transformation to holiness that we experience by the work of the Spirit in us and our response to it. Giving him control of our time makes it possible for us to set apart each moment for him. And he will use this practice for his excellent purposes. Glenn and I asked that the song below be sung at our wedding[3] as an expression of our yearning to be devoted to our Lord. Those last lines say it all: “Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,.” It has been a long journey from that beginning in our early twenties to these years in our seventies, but we can look back and see how he has been the One carefully answering our prayers for this spiritual formation. I would love to hear your stories that testify to this too!

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
5
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

---

[1] Haase, Albert, O.F.M. This Sacred Moment\: Becoming Holy Right Where You Are.  (IVP Books, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 2010), p. 12

[2] Ibid., p. 15

[3]  “Take My Life and Let it Be”,Frances Ridley Havergal.