I mentioned my vacation a few weeks back. The one where we swam with a Sea Carp. The same week where I followed a fellow vacationer around (unbeknownst to him or me) for almost 9 days and accidentally found him in an unlocked bathroom 1,500 miles from our original destination. Remember that one?
Well, time has a constant tie-in to everything we do on this planet.
I say all of that, because I read this headline last week: Fire breaks out on Royal Caribbean ship.
When you read something like that (and realize it was the ship you traveled on not 2 weeks prior), it puts things in perspective quickly.
Now, I’ve read the article and it looks like the damage was reparable and no one was hurt during the blast, but still…scary nonetheless. Especially since the Freedom of the Seas was a ship just revamped and renovated earlier this year to accommodate 67 more rooms. I’m glad everyone followed protocol and participated in the emergency drill and the one crewman with the injury was treated (and is recovering).
But, this update caused me to think about time as it spins onward and without pause.
It ALL matters. Every bit of it. Time with family and daily stuff and interactions with your favorite (and least favorite) people. Planning a vacation, taking the dog for a walk, and even getting an oil change. All of it matters on the spectrum of your time on this planet.
So we must make it COUNT. We aren’t guaranteed a safe flight, family reunion, or even a long, memory-filled life. But, it’s crazy to not pursue those things, when God gives us another breath to seek them.
The fire could’ve happened when we were on-board the Freedom of the Seas (even though it didn’t). The ship could’ve been stranded for weeks. It could’ve been disastrous. And…even though it didn’t happen that way and we weren’t there when it did…I’m thankful for the perspective it’s offering. The awareness of the here and now.
You might read my words and think this strictly conjecture. I’m reaching for something that’s not there. But, I wouldn’t argue that anyways. It would defeat my whole purpose in telling you TIME is a precious commodity. Don’t wait for something when you can thank God for the ability to go after it straightaway. (I’m taking my own advice here as I type.) What else were we put on this Earth for anyways?
The Great Commission is, verbatim: “GO and MAKE disciples of all nations, BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and TEACHING them to obey everything I have COMMANDED you.”
That’s it. In summary. The ship didn’t sink, and we weren’t on it. But it doesn’t mean we wait around for the next one to go down either. We gotta move, live, love, and listen to God. Daily.