I found an old picture taken shortly after Diego's 4th birthday on 5/29/2006. While looking at this picture, I'm already missing the beach, the breeze, and the tradewinds of Hawaii. This picture was taken at Ala Moana Beach.
More so, I can't believe how quickly time has flown by. It was just like yesterday!!! We really ought to start thinking about how we spend our time each day.
"So teach [us] to number our days, that we may apply [our] hearts unto wisdom. "
Psalm 90:12
"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:16
Then I remembered that 2006 was the year when I turned a quarter of a century old. It was a big deal: I could finally rent a car on my own without having to pay the underage premium, and my car insurance premiums dropped dramatically! See, there is a reward for getting old!
That was also the year when my mom shared a very important article with me on my 25th birthday, The Dash. It's an article that in essence, reminded me that my significance on earth is not merely represented by my year of birth and year of death. What's truly important is what I did with my life from the time I was born until the time God calls me home.
What am I filling my life with? I then remember Glenn Furuya's challenge once again during a 6-week Leadershipworks Seminar at the Pearl Ridge Country Club in Hawaii (the food was excellent, by the way). He talked about big rocks and tiny pebbles. He challenged us that there is a way to fit them all into a reasonably-sized jar. The big rocks and pebbles represented people and things, while the jar represented our life.
We can only fit so much into our "jar". Too often, we fill our lives with the seemingly urgent things, first. We fail to realize that urgent things are not always the most important, but we tend to give them top priority, anyway, hence filling our "jar" with the tiny pebbles, first. As we go along, we try to squeeze in time for the other "bigger" things in life, i.e. people, who are truly important to us. We therefore fill our jar with the big rocks second, third, or sadly, even last. As a result, the jar ended up being filled with many tiny pebbles which left no room for the remaining big rocks. This is when you realize that you've left out the most important things and people in your life, due to focusing on the wrong priorities. By this time, it may be too late.
Meanwhile, Glenn took another empty jar. He filled it with all of the big rocks first, then poured in the tiny pebbles afterwards. Amazingly, he was able to fit them all into that one jar, with ease! A big lesson can be learned here.
Such a lesson has struck me more today than it did back then, because I am now responsible for my 2 children. It is very easy to get distracted and mind all the other "urgent" things on my To-Do List.
What's on YOUR To-Do List? Re-evaluate it. Is God on there? What about your family?
Remember, when we die one day, we will only be remembered by "the dash". We are but stewards of this one life that God has entrusted with us. Remember to live it faithfully for Him, and to place our priorities on what truly matters most. Have you been a good and faithful steward?
"The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot." Proverbs 10:7
