Precious Moments

Go back ten, twenty years ago. Could you have predicted where you are today? What you have achieved, the challenges you have faced and how far you have come on your journey? There may have been dreams, wishes and prayers, but none of us are able to see into the future and predict what would be.

Over the last few weeks, there have been hours, and days of laughter and reminiscing about the good old days, with good (but not so old...) friends. Time has moved on and we may be in different parts of the world. There are spouses and children, and we no longer stay up all night with reckless abandon. And yet there is a comfort in acceptance of where we have been and who we are. A comfort in knowing the other has seen the good, bad and ugly, and still accepts you for you.

There is a gift in holding each other accountable, encouraging each other and reminding ourselves of how far we have made it and the endless possibilities that still lie ahead.

We constantly grow and evolve, hoping to know more of our identities, faith, purpose and passions (even as these shift across life's changing seasons).

I have been reminded over the last few weeks that really our ways are not God's ways, and he knows and holds the future. Even as we walk through a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (I have been taking notes in business school!), let us hold on to the simple precious moments. Let us make time for these those that stand by our side, and do the small things like a video call, coffee, lunch or a walk together. This gives us fuel, and motivates us to keep moving, no matter what lies ahead.

And as we walk, we are thankful. We encourage each other through the word of God and prayer. We remind each other that God still has more in store for us: more than we can dream of or imagine. As we walk, we look forward to the next moments where we can share and reminisce. Knowing that no matter what lies ahead, we would have songs of praise on our hearts. That there would always be something to make us laugh so much, and so loudly, that others walking past would give us strange looks, and yet we would not care because we know that these are precious moments...