Don’t Wish Your Life Away

My two-year-old son ran up to me, dripping wet, and said: “Daddy, this is fun!”

Last summer, we spent a week visiting different attractions in the Dallas area. My kids were enjoying the splash pad at Legoland as I watched from a nearby table trying not to melt in the scorching Texas heat. Exhausted from the battles of getting four kids dressed, traveling, and applying mother-approved amounts of sunscreen, I watched them run around wildly and thought: “One day I’m going to miss this.”

One day, I’m going to miss the wild antics of my young children. I’m going to miss my kids thinking daddy is the coolest, or the random things that come out of their mouths. As much as I grumble about the high decibel levels that has become normal at our house, one day I’ll sit in a quiet house and actually miss the noise. One day, I’ll look back and miss these young years.

Ironically, I often find myself wanting to get past these young years. I get frustrated when they are so dependent on me for the most basic functions of life. I can lose patience when my kids won’t stop asking questions when all I want is peace and quiet. I am short-tempered when they fight over a toy (especially one nobody wanted until one kid grabbed it). In these frustrating moments, I find myself wishing they were just a little older and more mature—then life would be perfect.

But, as many of you know, that perfect day never comes. With each phase of life, new challenges and issues arise. That ‘perfect’ time seems just over the horizon. But when we get there, it eludes us. As the proverbial donkey continues to chase the dangling carrot, so we continue to long for that which is out of our reach. There’s nothing wrong with looking forward to what tomorrow might bring; but we must be careful that while we are looking forward to tomorrow, we don’t miss out on today.

For you, it may not be the young years of your children, but perhaps you tend to wish away your high school, college, or single years. Maybe you’re looking forward to marriage or having children. Or, perhaps, you long for a new job or retirement. There are many seasons of life where this might be a temptation. What season of life are you tempted to wish away?

This Is The Day

Let us remember the encouragement of Scripture to enjoy the present. “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24). While many of us sang this song as a child, let us not forget this biblical truth: God has given us today as a gift. Scripture also teaches that we “are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). Our life is short, so be where you are right now. Rejoice! Live each moment to the glory and praise of God.

Saying we want to enjoy today is great in theory, but it’s difficult when we see the struggles that ‘today’ brings. That’s when our eyes begin looking toward another day. Continually, we must recognize that even the struggles of today are being used by God to sanctify us and purify our faith through the fiery trials (1 Peter 4:12–13). In his sovereignty, God has placed you in your current circumstances for a reason. While it’s possible tomorrow could be better, today is the day that the Lord has made . . . so let us rejoice!

We can rejoice because our joy is in Christ, not in our circumstances. If my ability to rejoice each day depended on my circumstances, then there would be many days I simply could not rejoice. But if it’s the case that my joy is in Christ, who is eternal and unchanging, then no matter what my day brings, I still have reason to praise.

No Regrets

Looking back with a twinge of regret, fictional character Andy Bernard (The Office) said, “I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them.” Things that, day to day, seem ordinary, boring, or regular are often the things that we one day look back on with nostalgia.

While we constantly look forward the next big thing, we can easily look past the ordinary events that bring so much beauty today. When we spend our time daydreaming about tomorrow, we miss the blessings God has given us today.

I don’t want to drive my son to college and look back with regrets. The years from diapers to the dorm room goes faster than I can imagine, and I don’t want to miss a thing. While each phase of life brings challenges, I want to look at the present the way I often look at the past, by focusing on the blessings.

Enjoying Today

I admit that after six years of dirty diapers, one day it’ll be nice not have to deal with them anymore, but for now I’m going to praise God as I walk with my nose clinched to the diaper disposal. There will come a day when World War III won’t take place every night as I try to convince these little human beings that they have to go to bed (they seem to forget this simple truth from the night before). One day there will be no more playing catch, hosting tea parties, building forts, or playing Legos. So, by God’s strength, I’m going to soak up this time and see it as a gift from my Heavenly Father.

Whatever season of life you’re currently in, rejoice and be glad in it. Fight to find your joy in an unchanging Savior instead of your fluctuating circumstances. Today may not be ideal and there may be struggles, but praise God for his good gifts knowing we don’t deserve anything, and we are not promised tomorrow.

It’s likely that in some way, you are in the “good ole days” right now, so enjoy them before they disappear and certainly don’t wish them away.