Here & Now

Occasionally, life delivers one of those moments which change you forever.

After months of preparation, the day arrived which I had anticipated with excitement and fear. After a few short hours--which felt like an eternity--the pain ended and I heard the first cry of my son.  And in an instant, I stopped focusing on myself and every fiber in my body and soul only cared for his well being. Yes, I survived natural childbirth but more important to me was his health and care.  Many questions were answered in an instant—it's a boy, giving birth is no picnic, and my existence has forever been captured by the love of motherhood.

Sitting beside her hospital bed, I prayed for hours that God would end the suffering of my grandmother. Fighting for every breath, she no longer resembled the woman who deeply loved me. Finally, she breathed her last and instantly, I wanted her alive again. It's been twenty-five years and typing these words still brings tears to my eyes. Some yearning never ends.

That's life. Incredible moments of great joy and defining moments of gut-wrenching sadness. Mountains and valleys. Hallelujahs and hardships.

Have you noticed how the great times seem to happen in a flash and are then etched forever into our memory? As if we vividly pasted them on a mental scrap book page.

But those agonizing times seem to happen in slooow motion and then replay forever in our minds like a never ending broken record. Over and over, our loss paints another dreary coat on our souls.

We've all heard the saying, "This too shall pass."  But when we live in the here and now, we easily wonder if it truly will ever pass. Like we've been cemented into our suffering.

But wait a minute. Maybe that's the problem in the first place. The here and now.

We are forgetting we have an eternity ahead of us. We fail to remember the end of this life is not really the end. We will spiritually live in peace with God or in torment away from God (Romans 2:6-8).

So our current struggles are only a split second in the course of eternity. Only infinitesimal flashes of despair. Like a mere droplet of red food coloring added to the massive ocean.

"Here and now" mentality offers a life view through a magnifying lens but eternity gives a life view through a telescope.

I must remember this the next time I'm living in the valley, feeling alone and magnifying my sorrow.

Because one day, I'll use my spiritual telescope from eternity and look back at the lesson learned in that brief valley and smile. You see, my valley time shall pass but my mountain time in eternity never will end.

Do you struggle living in the "here and now," forgetting you have an eternal existence? Are you confident of your eternal address? What has helped you on your journey? Please share a comment. Thanks.

Tammy Van Gils is a writer, blogger, and co-owner of S & N Paint Contractors, Inc. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Word Weavers International. In the Richmond area, she is a member of The Christian Writers Hub and Word Weavers Richmond. Visit her Facebook Page, Pinterest and Twitter @Tammyvangils.