A fresh reminder.

This day–every day–is a gift.

The good days and the bad days.  The easy and the difficult. The bright and sunny and the dark and gloomy.

Every day we are given the same amount of time, blocked off into 24 hour segments, and we choose what we will do with it.

I am keenly aware that not every day is as wonderful as the next.  Maybe even hard to get through… like we are painstakingly watching the hours creep by until we can start over on the next 24.

Is that really what God intended for us?  Is this really the abundant life He talks about–that He promises?

 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:10

And, why then, does it so often elude us?  Many in our world are looking for the secret to a happy life, and even believers that say they want God’s best, struggle in this pursuit of what the world calls, “happiness”.

I’ve been a.w.o.l from the blogging world for over a week now, and a big part of it is because I’ve been, well, tongue-tied…

Yeah, me.  And, why, do you ask? What is it that has stopped me in my tracks?  Glad you asked, because this is a story that I’ve been wanting to tell, but it’s so close to my heart that I’ve struggled to put it into words.

Five weeks ago Sunday, I received a text from a dear friend saying, “pray!”.  They were on their way to meet their new grandson who was arriving a little earlier than expected.  No reason for alarm, just all of the anxiousness we feel as grandparents when the big day comes.

Their day of joy turned to complete shock and fear as Malachi’s heart stopped in utero.  He was taken emergency c-section and had to be resuscitated after delivery.  This precious little boy was perfect in every way–except because he had been deprived of oxygen, his little brain was not able to function.

He lived eleven days, days of bittersweet agony as this sweet couple spent every moment possible loving on their first-born son. The only hope for Malachi was God’s divine intervention, and by all accounts, against all the doctors and nurses predictions, God did intervene and give this family eleven precious days together–cuddling him, reading to him, praying over him, and treasuring every single moment with him.

His short life was a painful reminder for us all to treasure the time that we have here on this earth, but it was also a vivid reminder of a loving God who goes before us to meet us right where we are.

This family, as well as countless others, are still talking about how much those eleven days with Malachi impacted their lives. This seven pound, 3 oz. baby boy became known as “Mighty Malachi”.  This song plays over and over in my mind as I think of this little warrior fighting for his life for eleven days.  I can’t help but picture him in heaven now, a mighty warrior in the heavenly realms.

In case you doubt, the faith of his parents has not faltered. I would be safe to say that it has grown even stronger.  They are parents now–you would expect for them to treasure every day that they had with their son, and grieve for all the ones they will miss.  That is completely normal and expected, but because of Malachi, they are leaning more on the Lord than ever before.  They are choosing to trust in a loving God even when they don’t understand His plan.

The abundant life that God promises is not always one of ease.  His promise is that our life will be more full and meaningful when we follow Him–even when life is hard.

The short existence we all are given on this earth is only a blink in eternity.  What we are living for matters far beyond the time represented by dashes on our tombstone.  Malachi’s family would have given up every single material possession they owned just to have him a little longer, and I am certain that the things they value in life have changed since Malachi went to heaven.

This day is a gift.

Will I see it through the eyes of eternity?  Will I focus on the things that really matter? And how can I live this day in a way that expresses my desire to live for something bigger than myself?

I still feel like words are not enough.  I am still in awe of the power of my God.  He continues to mold me and make me into the person He created me to be.  And, He used a little boy named Malachi to remind me of His sovereignty, and how much He loves us. So much that He gave His Son.

For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name
that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
of those who are in heaven and on earth
and under the earth— and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11

I continue in my quest:

~~Vickie