My sweet nephew Jai has me completely wrapped around his tiny little fingers... and tiny little toes too. I am hopelessly smitten Daily Cup family. That's why I thought I had been transported to auntie heaven when my sister Alesha asked me to babysit yesterday.
When she first requested that I keep the little bundle of cuteness, I replied, “Of course I’ll keep him! The question is, will I give him back?”
With every coo, grin, and occasional cry, my heart melted. Even when he let out a big belch, followed by a warm ocean of spit up that soaked right through my t-shirt and leggings, I smiled adoringly.
There was nothing that could stop me or the kids from gushing over baby Jai and those totally pinchable chubby cheeks.
I often jokingly say I missed my calling when I chose to launch out into urban media rather than building my own daycare business. I think "Hobbs Childcare Inc." has a nice ring to it, don't you? ;-)
But I digress.
What felt like only a few brief moments after dropping him off, Jai's mom returned to take him home. I wasn't quite ready to give him up, but alas, he could not stay.
For a while after I ended my delightfully short stint as nanny for a day, Jai's powdery soft scent lingered, reminding me of those brief, but tender moments spent cradling him in my arms.
As a mother of four, I know how quickly time passes. It seems like yesterday when my husband and I brought our 13-year-old daughter Kyla home from the hospital.
Life moves forward so rapidly, so don't forget to be still and enjoy it.
Don't rush through life. Don't spend irretrievable hours fretting over nothing and looking ahead toward the future, while forgetting to live in the present. Don't allow your inability to be in the now to rob you of life's joy and simple treasures. Don't be forced to use hindsight as the lens through which you examine the moments of your life, all because you were too distracted while you were in that space and time, to value it.
God wants us to appreciate today, right now, this instant. He doesn't want us to worry about tomorrow or what's down the road. Even with all its imperfections, being anxious and preoccupied about life, won't change it. So we must embrace the numerous reasons we do have to be thankful. To remind you to do this, I'm stirring Matthew 6:34 NIV into your cup of inspiration. It says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
When you drink down the contents of your cup, you will be reminded to live for today and see the goodness of the Lord all around you. In good and bad times, you will recognize the importance of appreciating, embracing, and accepting this day just as it is.
Above all, You will thank God that He even saw fit to let you live to see it.
Now let's pray.
God, it's so easy to get sidetracked and distracted by concerns about my future, and forget to appreciate this day You have set before me. Please forgive me for all the times I have failed to give thanks for the beauty of every moment in my life, even though life in itself is not perfect. Going forward, oh Lord, I am committed to keeping my heart full of thankfulness, not anxiousness. And in this space of time, I bless Your name for all the many reasons--both great and small-- I have to be thankful. In Jesus' name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
