Don’t blink….

As I was driving down the freeway this morning to work, a familiar country song came on the radio – one that I have heard many times. It holds the same sentiment that a lot of country songs hold – in summary, remember what you have and don’t waste your life.

I must have heard that song a billion times. I’ve sung along each time.  Even this morning as I was listening to it, I didn’t think twice about it.

Until this afternoon while talking to a coworker.

She had her high school ID from 1987. And I was browsing through Instagram and a friend had posted a picture from our high school graduation 5 years ago.

TIME FLIES.

How 5 years went by without me being aware, I do not know. College graduation was a whole year ago. I have been working for a whole YEAR. 

My roommate Alli and myself will be moving from our first apartment out of college in just shy of two weeks. We were talking last night remembering our first night in that apartment. We talked for hours after we had moved in remembering the day. We had both gotten in bed and realized that we didn’t take a picture our first day in our apartment. We both got out of our beds, retainers already in and make up already off, and took a picture (see picture below). That night, we talked about who helped us move that day and how we were excited that we already had made some friends. We pondered where we would be in that next year – who we would be friends with, if we would have the same jobs, how we would grow, what we would be involved in at our new church, Seabreeze Church, and who would be helping us move out of this apartment.

A year has passed and so much has changed. We both are dating handsome, godly men, Eric and Elliot. Alli now has a permanent position at her job. I have had two jobs since then and now work at a mortgage company and have for nine months. We both are involved in the High School Ministry at church. We have a wonderful group of friends – beautiful women and men who love the Lord and are striving to serve him. Mentors whom we both love and look up to. Families who have been through a lot this year and are learning a lot through the process.

Kenny Chesney had it right in that song I listened to this morning  (click here to listen). 

The chorus says this:

“Don’t blink // Just like that you’re six years old and you take a nap and you // Wake up and you’re twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife // Don’t blink // You just might miss your babies growing like mine did // Turning into moms and dads // next thing you know your better half of fifty years is there in bed // And you’re praying God takes you instead // Trust me friend a hundred years goes faster than you think // So don’t blink”

That’s how I feel the last year, 5 years, 23 years of my life have gone…and according to my coworker and the man in the music video, it just keeps going faster and faster.

I am so thankful for this last year of my life and all that it has taught me – through the transition from college to the job world, through two job changes, through a move to a new county and new city, through switching churches, sickness, tears, laughter, happiness, sadness, through a new relationship and all the learning that comes along with that…through it all, I am so thankful.

This year would not be what it was if it were missing anything that had occurred. Although it is impossible to slow life down, I do need to take as much time as I can to remember the important things in life and to not get side tracked by distractions. I need to really learn from what the Lord is using in my life to try to teach me. Life is too short to waste on silly, perishable things like money and possessions. Growing in the Lord and investing in the people that the Lord has placed in my life is of number one importance (Love God and Love others – Matthew 22:36 – 40).

So in summary, “don’t blink…”

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Matthew 22: 37-40 (ESV): “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

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To Be Continued…