While it is Today

My afternoon was spent trying to encourage, as unobtrusively as possible, my team of Destination Imagination kids to use their time to full advantage. The clock is ticking on the deadline to register for the State Contest and we need to scramble to be ready. I am hopeful they will pull it all together in time. It was a good afternoon, with only one minor little problem of an altercation between skin and super glue.

I worked on my book in the adjacent room, keeping an ear and eye open for dangerous activities. I only needed to remind them of Rule #6 (do nothing stupid with sharp objects) twice. The fun part was watching their huge backdrop slowly transform. It went from indistinguishable blobs of paint to a truly glorious work of creative art. Hooray team!

One of the problems of a long term project like this is when you have 9 months from start to finish, you feel like you have all the time in the world. It is easy to put things off, not be worried about time constraints, and feel like it will be easy to get it all done in time. Now, as we have only 2 months left and the bulk of constructing yet to do, we realize, oops, time slipped by without us noticing.

This is a good lesson for life. Time does slip by without us noticing. If we are not careful, a whole life slips by. We wonder where all our opportunities to make a difference, draw closer to each other and God, and hold tiny hands have vanished to. It is so easy to lose sight of goals- academic, work, spiritual- thinking there is always tomorrow. But when tomorrow arrives, if we were complacently putting off the work of today, we will reach an empty tomorrow.

I noticed one team member snapping a photo of the finished backdrop. I think perhaps she was proud of the accomplishment. That is the joy of meeting 'today' with exuberant engagement. When the sun sets, there is less regret.

Titus 2:11-14 (NIV)
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. [12] It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, [13] while we wait for the blessed hope---the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, [14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.


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