How often do we find ourselves wishing we could skip a part of our lives?  Maybe we’re facing something incredibly challenging, or maybe we’re just bored.  But we do it all the time.  Look around on Monday and you’ll see a whole lot of people wishing it was Friday.  Most of us are not much good at simply enjoying where we are.  (Adam Sandler’s movie “Click” covered this idea pretty well.)

Yesterday I got an email from a friend that stopped me in my tracks.  As I read what he wrote, I realized that as much as I might try to live in and enjoy the moment, so often I find myself hung up on the next thing.  And for me, usually the next thing isn’t that exciting, it’s typically just something on my never ending to-do list.  Anyway, I have decided to share the email that spoke to me.  I hope it means something to you.  (I’ve made a couple minor edits with the author’s blessing to protect his family’s anonymity.)

Good Morning,

Something has been burning inside me that I thought I would share with a few of you. As I type this I realize my brain is going 100 mph and seems like there are not enough hours in the day to complete what needs to be done. Not only what needs to be done today, but for the week, then I begin to think about the month ahead and drives me almost into an anxiety attack. I doubt that I am alone here and I am sure some of you can relate now or can think back on a time where you have felt this way. As most of you know for our company this time of year is extremely busy and for 3 months it makes up 75% of our business. With my family’s situation I have been forced to step away from work at times this summer and I’m so thankful this has occurred. I have begun to understand even more that our times with the ones we love the most are limited and no matter the situation —  don’t miss 1 minute, 1 hour, or 1 day you have to truly live out your purpose as dad, husband, mom or wife. If we think missing that 1 minute is okay, before long that is 1 hour, then 1 hour is 1 day, and 1 day is 1 week, and 1 week is 1 month and BAM!  We then wake up and ask ourselves where has this time has gone and where did my kids go?

I guess the idea of this email is to try and enjoy the next hour of your life. If you can find joy in the next hour then that hour turns into another hour and before you know it you have had a great day. Then it is time to do this the next day and the next day, and before you know you have had a great week, and that great week is now a great month, and that great month turns into the year you had been dreaming about. While you take time to enjoy the next hour of your life don’t miss what God has for you in that hour, for I promise there is something there for you and someone needs a gentle handshake or even hug, or maybe that smile that warms their heart. It might be a total stranger or the clerk where you get coffee every morning or the co-worker you see daily. See, if we are too busy thinking about what needs to be done in the next week or month we miss these moments.

I write this to myself as I am as guilty, if not more guilty to the next person but something that I know needs to be a daily sacrifice.

Well said, my friend.