Another month dashed to its end.
Another summer hurries toward her conclusion.
Time, refusing to slow, surges ahead.
So these two words seem to fit: the end. The end of a season, the end of a year, the end of a story.
What should we do?
Choose to cherish every endeavor.
Begin today with a better view of valuing each venture, each conversation, each situation.
We never experience any particular moment again. Let’s not miss it.
The ends of many stories arrive soon.
But, for now, realize where you are. Grasp why you are where you are. And refuse to miss a moment.
This moment might end soon.
Love this, Pastor Chris!
I really enjoyed this blog and the topics discussed in the blog I feel I relate to very much. Two major things stood out to me in this blog. The first was “Time, refusing to slow”. I have never agreed more with the phrase “time flies”. It felt like just 2 or 3 years ago I was starting Middle School.. but its been 8 years. I started high school 5 years ago. And most recently, I’ve already finished my first year of college and I am starting my second year. Which is so crazy to me. It all went by so quick. In the moment, when having to read books, take quizzes, or write papers, I felt that school took “so long” and thought sometimes “I’m ready to be done”. But now, looking back, I cherish the memories and sometimes imagine myself back in those moments. I had a many of great times and wonderful memories, with family, friends, classmates and community. I look back and truly appreciate those great times. This ties into the second point that stood out to me. That we need to “choose to cherish every endeavor”. One thing that I am trying to work on is finding joy and positivity in the hard times. When I’m facing something challenging, not fun, or difficult, trying to find the good in it. The line in the blog that says “we never experience any particular moment again. Let’s not miss it” really leaped out at me. We don’t get to go back. We don’t get another chance to experience it again. So, even if its hard, we need to enjoy the moment. I really enjoyed the lines and meaning of this blog. The topics discussed is something I often think about. God has blessed us with and given us life. We need to not take it for granted. We need to be thankful and cherish each day we have. Even if we’re having the worst day, we’re alive, we’re breathing, we’re able to be here on this Earth. We need to value each moment God has allowed us to live. We need to cherish every endeavor and focus on living for God, worshipping Him because He is worthy, following Him, and thanking Him for all that He has done.
I enjoyed this blog post, Pastor Chris! Seeing how the end can be scary yet it comes and it goes is an unavailable thing we created.
I love the simplicity of this post. Also I felt like I needed to hear this. Seasons come and go so fast. It’s hard to focus on the present moment when I’m dwelling on what I’ve working towards.
I like the line “refuse to miss a moment.” It seems like a sort of stubborn intentionality to stay rooted in what the Lord is doing right in front of you.
I very much enjoy the poetic style to this blog. Talking about the content of the post itself, I feel like it’s a message that everyone can relate to, especially post COVID and in general being a college student. The steady and persistent movement of time reminds me of the COVID time frame and post-time frame specifically. I was a sophomore in high school in 2020, I was a senior in 2022 before I ever got to be back in the school building Monday through Friday again. Then before I knew it, I was a sophomore again, but this time in college, eight hours away from home, and definitely not the 16-year-old girl that just thought she was getting an extra week of spring break. Then the section starting with “Choose to cherish every endeavor” to the end resonates with what it means to be a college student, being a student-athlete only adding another layer to the meaning. I remember the feeling of our first tournament and despite having competed in many since then quite compares to walking into that first one. I have gotten to have some many moments since coming to Emmanuel where I was sad once they were over yet lucky enough to have experienced them in the first place. I can’t have those moments back, but I know life holds so many more.
This is a very lovely piece. As I am entering my last year here at Emmanuel this piece really made me reflect over the past 3 years and how I have changed and what chapters have ended and which ones are new and inly starting.
Remorse for the past and anxiety for what is to come are a staple of our culture and a hindrance to the young people of this world. Though they are feelings that we have been created to feel, they are not meant to be character traits. Thank you, Pastor Chris, for the simple reminder that we have this short gift of life. Let us make the most of it now, experience life slowly, intentionally, peacefully and with others in Jesus’s love.
It is so important that we take the time to be mindful and be present in every moment of life. We often take people and things for granted and they rush in and out of our lives. It is so important to appreciate the small and big things. It is also important to not always be in the mindset that we need to rush things away when they are hard. So often when something is hard we are simply just trying to make it through it to the other side and we disregard the lessons learned and the memories made even when we are exhausted from studying for a test or ready to just get to graduation. We grow and become new people because of the moments that we so often rush away. We have to enjoy the life that we have right now and not just wish time away so that we can just get to the thing that we are looking forward to.
Great post Pastor Chris! I believe with every end there is a new beginning, something exciting waiting for you, that God has in store for each of us. It can be scary and stressful sometimes to not know what could be at the end and what is waiting for you to begin. It is human nature to try and control everything but if we did that, where would our faith be? God wants us to have faith in him because he already knows what is waiting for you and it is not for us to worry.
These are such encouraging words! This is how I want to go through, not only the rest of my time at Emmanuel, but life as a whole. We can get so caught up in the fear of the end, the struggles, the ending of a day or moment in time which can cause a lot of discouraging or halt excitement for tomorrow. I want to live with excitement and readiness for the days to come no matter when the end comes or how it looks.
I really enjoyed reading your piece! I have needed to read this. While wrapping up my time here at Emmanuel and having to go through transitions along the way and finding it hard to enjoy the moments that I am and finding it hard to enjoy the moments that I am. This really encouraged me to shift my perspective to find the joy in enjoying the now.
This is very fitting for the season of life I am in now. As I have started my senior year I feel the heaviness of the end drawing near. Some so many feelings and emotions come with an end to a season. I know I have been feeling a range of emotions from sadness and nervousness to peace and assurance. it is difficult to navigate through those feelings, but as I continue through this season I am also reminded of God’s faithfulness. I thought of this when you wrote “Grasp why you are where you are.” I know that God has called me to this place for a reason and he has been faithful to walk with me the entire time and he will until the end of time.