The conversation I had with the other team members on Voxer was a morbid one. Our ministry leader’s aunt passed away, and the funeral was scheduled the day after she and her husband were set to leave for their long-planned vacation to celebrate his retirement. Should they go on their trip or cancel to attend the funeral?
I had the same dilemma several months ago. My daughter’s mother-in-law died, and my husband and I missed attending her memorial service to fly to Hawaii for a wedding that same week. Feelings of guilt, shame, sadness, and pain embroiled my heart. But what choice did we have?
Have you had a similar experience?
From morning ‘til night, we are inundated with choices. Do I wear this dress or that? Should I continue to date him or dump him? Should I go to school, or should I find a job? Whether our decisions result in outcomes we think are either insignificant or life-changing, they affect us and others. We need wisdom and discernment in the decisions we make.
In Psalm 90:12, Moses asks God, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” The Hebrew word for to number is נָה mânâh, meaning to weigh out, appoint, and allot.
Recognizing the brevity of our lives drives us to be more intentional about making wise decisions and choices. Moses asked God to teach them. Like Moses, Jesus’ half-brother, James, recognized wisdom came from God alone when he said, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). Such wisdom is available to us also.
Responding to the exchange on Voxer, I wrote, “Throughout the years, I learned that what counts most are the moments we spent with people while they were alive rather than what we do when they are gone.”
Reflecting on what I wrote got me thinking of why we do “Celebrations of Life.” It also clarified for me why the Israelites were repeatedly told to remember and how the Scriptures tell us to remember what God has done in our lives.
But we will have nothing to remember unless we spend time with God and get to know Him. Unless we spend time with our loved ones, there will be no memories to hold on to and reflect.
Before we left for Hawaii, I wrote a tribute for my daughter’s mother-in-law to help me remember and celebrate our times together and to honor her memory.
Time is a precious commodity in life. We hear and read memes that say, “Time is Gold.” In His short time on earth, Jesus showed His love by spending time with people. When we love someone, we spend our best commodity on and with them–our time.
Will you let the people around you know you love them by giving them some of your time?
About the Author:
To be a “woman after God’s own heart” is Cecille’s desire for her life. Cecille was born and raised in the Philippines. Her native country was also where she met and accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Being involved with Campus Crusade for Christ since her college years and even into Medical School and Graduate School, she found joy in discipling others and sharing the love of Christ. She is married to Sal and has two adult children, a son-in-love and a granddaughter. Cecille finds expression of her passion for discipling and encouraging others through her devotional writing and blog and her podcast, “Digging Deep for Treasures Podcast with Cecille Valoria.”
After 31 years of teaching in elementary school, she retired to take care of her elderly dad. She enjoys traveling, photography, baking, and flower arranging. She founded a nonprofit organization, A Simple Touch Ministry, that delivers flower arrangements to patients in convalescent hospitals. Cecille published her first memoir/self-help book, “Slaying Your Fear Giants, Moving from a Jungle of Terror to a Garden of Peace,” in November 2019. It chronicles her battle with anxiety and is her personal testimony of God’s healing and faithfulness in her life. She has a devotional and two children’s picture book manuscripts waiting to be published.
Connect with Cecille:
@valoriacecille
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