To refrain from embracing

I joined Beth Moore's Scripture Memory group for the year back on New Year's Day. That means I committed to memorize two verses a month for a year, and then I get to attend a special retreat next year with Beth Moore along with other women who do the same. One of the ladies in my Bible study last summer really raved about the experience and challenged us to do it this year. So a few of us did.

January 1st was easy. I wanted to learn verses on parenting. I picked I Corinthians 4:2--Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

Then came the 15th of the month, and I didn't have a second verse picked. I prayed about it and asked God what verse He wanted me to learn.

Ecclesiastes 3:5--A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.

Really? I wasn't quite sure where that one came from, but okay. I wrote it down in my little notebook and started to rehearse it every day.

Hmmm.  Maybe since my sweet baby boy is now an official teenager, it could be a reminder that I need to start letting go of my Mommy tendencies. (A time to refrain from embracing . . .)

Now that we're halfway into the year, I am beginning to see that it's not just my little boy that I'm having to let go of. 

Julian left Colombia to pursue a dream in Argentina. Tickets to Argentina are double the price of tickets to Colombia. We took a summer off last year to stay stateside and get some much needed rest, and now I don't know when I'll be able to see Julian again. I will miss being able to see him and Juan David cherish time together this summer.

We grew even closer to our campus pastor through the ReEngage program this spring, admitting how grateful we were to have such a genuine leader. Then he made that announcement we never expected. He left our campus a few weeks ago to plant a new church in an unreached area. I will miss his authenticity.

My principal of only three years announced at the very end of the year that she, too, will be starting at another campus for the following school year. She had confidence in me and praised me, and I will miss that.

Our friends from our small group decided to travel all over the world this spring, so we haven't seen or connected with them very much over the last few months. I miss their company and guidance.

My husband lost his job where he's worked since we first moved here almost twelve years ago. We know God has something even better in store for him, but I will miss the security and the familiarity of his job, the seniority he'd earned over the years, the insurance that let us keep the same doctors and dentists all 12 years, the flexibility in his hours, and the close proximity to home.

My dearest friends who we love like family, friends we have traveled to Mexico with on several occasions and who live just up the street are leaving tomorrow to move to Hawaii to connect with a new church ministry. I will miss our random meet-ups, our summers with Madai visiting both of us, the convenience of having them so close, and being part of the same church fellowship.

Makes me a bit nervous about any other changes the next six months might hold. I guess I am realizing the point in the verse, though. Carpe diem. Seize the day. Embrace the moment. Don't take a day, a moment, a relationship, or an opportunity for granted. Make the most of (and be grateful for) whatever you see in front of you today because it might not be there tomorrow.

I pray every morning for a friend who recently lost her son in a tragic accident, and with each prayer for her I am reminded to embrace all that I have in front of me.

Ecclesiastes 3:5--A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.