Unforgettable moments

Do you remember where you were the day when...?

I believe I was twelve maybe thirteen. It was a Wednesday night, of course it was youth group was always on Wednesday night. We were walking together to youth group hand in hand. We walked through the little streets of our little town passing by homes, churches, a little quaint school house. We were "going out" with each other. Where we were going I don't know but she was my girlfriend. It was starting to rain, but we didn't care we were so...in...love! We were a block from youth group standing under a street light in the rain when I had my first kiss. WOW!!! That was good! I was on cloud nine all through youth group.

Now allow me to give a disclaimer, I'm not making a statement here on how old kids should be when they start dating or when they have their first kiss. All I'm saying is I remember where I was the day I had my first kiss. What days do you remember where you were. Were they good days, were they bad days. I also remember where I was when the towers fell on 9/11. We were having a pastors prayer breakfast at Porter Hospital in Denver, CO. Someone raced in and turned on the T.V. and we watched what looked like a bad action movie as the second plane hit the second tower. The news caster had just been reviewing what had happened to the first tower when our unbelieving eyes saw the second plane hit. Then we watched them come down. The hospital chaplain got on the phone and over the speaker system of the hospital he prayed for those who were affected by this tragedy.

Genesis Chapter 7 is too much for me to take in. I don't know what to do with it. It doesn't make sense in my mind. A world wide flood, really, 20 feet higher than the tallest mountain. It took 40 days to fill the earth with water and then 150 days of floating on that wide open, never ending ocean. I just can't wrap my mind around it. Its no wonder many consider it myth. Although I can't wrap my mind around the big band and trillions of years of evolution either so they both take faith.

But what I can understand is that Noah remembered the 17th day of the 2nd month of the 600th year of his life like no other. He can remember where he was the day when...the flood began. What a day, what a moment.

Sometimes is take world events to create a memorable event. Sometimes it just takes a kiss. But the only way that we remember it, I think, is if our heart is poured into it. If we were really present on that day and in that moment those are the days that we remember.

So many days I don't remember, time goes so fast, one day runs into the next. Do I remember what my daughter did today? Was I present and engaged when she climbed up into my lap this morning to cuddle with her daddy?

My thought today is, be present - be engaged. It is so easy to let life slip by unnoticed. It's just another staff meeting, its just another day at home, its just another kiss goodnight. Solomon says in Ecclesiastes that everything is meaningless a chasing after the wind. So we must take hold of the days that we are given and find joy in each one. To be present with God, to be present with each other.

Will today be a day that you will remember where you were when...?