Dear Family and Friends,

It’s now been two weeks since I broke my left elbow. Let me share that I’m on the mend and thankful it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.

Let me also share a lesson learned from this experience.

Living with one functioning arm is hard.

Simple activities like bathing, dressing and even typing on a phone turned into challenges.

This experience made me realize just how much I took my non-dominant hand for granted.

The dictionary defines ‘take for granted’ as the failure to properly appreciate someone or something, as a result of overfamiliarity.

This tendency to take someone or something for granted is an unfortunate trait of our human condition.

God never takes us for granted.

But don’t we take Him for granted at times?

We also take people for granted, especially those who are closest to us.

Why?

Perhaps it’s because we place our trust in the permanence of others. In other words, we assume they will be the same tomorrow as they were today.

We’re all familiar with Hebrews 13:8 NIV which says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

And Malachi‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬, “I the Lord do not change.”

We are fortunate that God never changes.

But may we never forget that people change, ourselves included. Which means, if we don’t nurture our relationships, they can very well change or even end…

There is nothing more precious in life than our relationships with God, our spouses, and our family. 

Yet today, we see more people flocking to Costco or the beach on Sunday mornings than to church. Could they be taking the grace of God for granted?

The leading cause of divorces today is the lack of commitment.

Statistics show that 75% of failed marriages fail because one or both partners take each other for granted.

What can we do to nurture our relationships?

As Jesus ascended to Heaven, He spoke these words.

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:20 NIV

The word translated as ‘always’ is a Greek phrase which means the whole of every day. Jesus promises to be with us every moment of every day.

This, my friends, is the gold standard we strive for.

So, let’s put down our phones and step away from distractions.

Let’s be present, attentive, and in the moment as we spend time with God, our spouses, and those we love.

Let’s remind God, our spouses, and those we love – every moment of every day – that they are loved.

As I was asking God for the words to close this message, a song came on the radio. A song called Keep Me in the Moment sung by Jeremy Camp.

God must really want us to hear this song. Here are excerpts from the lyrics and a link to a music video.

Keep Me in the Moment
“I’ve been thinking ’bout time
And where does it go
How can I stop my life from passing me by, I don’t know
I’ve been thinking ’bout family and how it’s going so fast
Will I wake up one morning just wishing that I could go back
I’ve been thinking ’bout lately, maybe
I can make a change and let you change me
So, with all of my heart this is my prayer

Singing oh Lord, keep me in the moment
Help me live with my eyes wide open
‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me
Singing oh Lord, show me what matters
Throw away what I’m chasing after
‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me
Keep me in the moment
Oh, keep me in the moment
Keep me in the moment
‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me”

You can listen to Keep Me in the Moment here.

In love always,