Are you living your best moment

Are you Living Your Best Moment?

Jesus was on a mission to save the world, the greatest mission in the history of mankind. Yet he took time to attend a wedding and take part in its festivities. We may be tempted to think we should not take time out from our ‘important work’ for social occasions. But maybe these social occasions are part of our mission. Jesus valued these wedding festivities because they involved people, and Jesus came to be with people. Our mission can often be accomplished in joyous times of celebration with others. Bring balance to your life by bringing Jesus into times of pleasure as well as times of work” (Life Application Study Bible, John 2:1,2).

 

Jesus came to be with people.

Jesus came to be with people. What an astounding statement. A few days ago, John 2:1-25 was my daily reading. The commentary, which I shared above, really caught my attention. For some reason, I wasn’t expecting the commentator’s note on verses 1 and 2. Tucked amid his theological musing on the how’s and why’s of Jesus turning the water into wine, he drew my attention to the simple fact that Jesus loved people.

Jesus took time from his busy schedule to attend social occasions.

I don’t know, somehow I found this deeply moving, especially right now. The last four to six weeks have been heavy laden with social functions: high school graduations, college graduations, wedding showers, birthday parties, graduation brunches, college orientations, Father’s Day, and did I mention, more birthday parties? (Smile) Quite honestly, I am “party-pooped!” But, with each and every event, I tried to remember to live in the moment. Be present. One of my most heartfelt teachings is on “the ministry of presence.” The greatest gift we can give to our families, friends and loved ones is our presence at their special event. It may seem like “no big deal” but it really is everything.

Last Sunday, while getting ready for church, I turned on Bishop T.D. Jakes (which I often do on Sunday mornings). In the course of his sermon, he asked a poignant question, “What if you are living your very best moment. . . right now?” He continued, “Do you think Martin Luther King, Jr. knew he was living his finest moment when he was delivering his famed ‘I Have a Dream’ speech? And furthermore, most people don’t become heroes until they die. What if this is it?”

What if this is it?

What if this is it? That thought walked with me the rest of the week.

Whispered to me in the morning.

Sat beside me in my car.

And, rested on my pillow at night. What if this is it, Janell? Is this your best moment?

The moment we let it all get to us.

Then, somewhere between menopausal madness, messy teenagers, traveling fatigue and people overload, I lost it. I let my emotions get the best of me. I became angry. It didn’t last long. About 40 minutes to be exact. That is about how long it took me to clean the upstairs bathroom (which belongs to my children). I scrubbed. . .mumbled. . .scrubbed. . .fumed. . .scrubbed. . . and vented. Finally, I wore myself out. Drained, I knew I had to go somewhere. . .alone. . .and talk to God. Cry.

 Lord, this is definitely not my best moment. Please help me get a grip. I don’t want to blame hormones. I don’t want to blame anything or anyone. I just want to control my emotions and handle my anger correctly. God, in his mercy, did help me. He lifted the agitation of anger and helped me gain self control. The rest of the day was a wash. I felt so drained. So sad that I had acted so immaturely. But, it is in the overcoming that we gain mastery of our emotions, refusing to let them control us. I’ve come a long way. . .anger and I have been foes for quite some time.

Later that day, I remembered I hadn’t read my lesson for a new Sunday School Rob and I were going to be attending. I picked up the book, Uprooting Anger, by Robert Jones, and sighed. Of course. I completely forgot that for the next seven weeks we were going to be studying the role of anger in a marriage. Learning how to counsel couples in marital distress. Well, they say experience is the best teacher. What I experienced earlier in the day, a raging battle with my own anger, taught me way more than any book. It humbled me. It broke me.

It made me, once again, realize my great need for Christ’s redemptive work in my life.

Every moment of my life.

I’ve come to see that the best moments in my life are usually the hardest moments of my life. Times of brokenness and deep sorrow over sin that bring me to the feet of Jesus. There, humble and needy, I sense his divine hand touch my chin, lift my head and wipe my tears. His love washes away my sin and restores my joy.

May God open our eyes to living in the moment.

To breathing in the beauty of what lies before us.

Here’s to living in this present moment

and making it the best moment of our lives!

Fill out the info below, and I'll send you a link to download the PDF interactive guide, "Why Am I So Angry?" I believe that if you put in the hard work + intentional application of these principles + spiritual fortitude into this healing practice, you will move into a far more meaningful life.

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