Many years ago I decided to help around the house by cleaning the inside of our old oven. I grabbed a pair of gloves, a steel wool Brillo pad, a bowl with water, turned the light on inside the oven so I could see but then took the bulb out so it would not explode if any of the water hit the hot glass, and went to task. Scrubbing hard and without thinking I stuck the steel wool Brillo pad in the hole where the bulb used to be and… you know what’s coming… I got the shock of a lifetime, tingles and everything! I jumped back a few feet and sat there numb. My hair was standing like a porcupine and it never returned to its original form.
I hope that true story made you grin. Smiling, that upward turn of the mouth and eyebrows, along with the natural relaxation of the earlobes in lighthearted moments, is critically important if we want to survive Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. The wise king wrote,
“Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.” Proverbs 17:22, GNT
The hectic pace of the holidays make it essential for us to be on the lookout for those precious moments that make life more than just bearable. SNAP OUT OF IT and celebrate life this Thanksgiving and Christmas!
I want to share a few of my recent moments that God used to cheer up my disposition. Ready?
While walking to a building in the back of our church property that’s next to Lake Jordan (our church’s pond) I caught a glance of this…
I relished the rare moment, quietly took this pic, and slowly walked away so not to disturb that critter doing its laying eggs business. Hours later I walked back to the exact spot and only saw this…
The turtle had covered its nest so that no person or predator would know of the eggs underneath. I couldn’t help but pause and thank God for the intuition He gave that turtle. It was one of those moments that make one go ‘Humm’ and ‘Yeah!’
Another moment happened a few weeks ago when I was with a friend of mine that’s a senior. He said to me, “Man, I’ve been feeling real good lately since I’ve been taking these natural pills for arthritis!” He then proceeded to stretch his arms and do a few calisthenics in front of me. I’m still cracking up as I write this. I said, “What in the world? What you’ve been taking?” He said, “Royal Jelly!” I said, “Royal what?” When I think of jelly I think of the sweet preserves one slaps of hot, butter dripping biscuits. But that’ wasn’t it.
I’m not sure if this is the brand he uses and I’m not advocating you take these for your arthritic pains and aches. It was just a precious moment to see my 70 year old buddy bust out some quick ‘reps’. Life is good when moments like that linger in the brain.
Another one of those great moments happened last week when me and some fellow pastors had a private tour of a privately owned muscle car museum here in town. The whole experience was memorable but check out this 2017 Rolls…
I can hear some of you saying, “It’s just a car, brah.” I know, I know… but just for a few moments, refuse to be a stick in the holier than thou mud and dream a little. I could see myself riding that heavenly machine down the road with my shades on, one hand on the steering wheel while my other arm leans on the opened window. I’d be looking like one cool cat! We are talking about sweet cheerful moments, yo!
One last moment the Lord allowed me to enjoy recently happened at a place called Yard House with one of my daughters. It was one of those perfect Florida days. When the food came to the table I couldn’t help but take a picture…
MERCY! That was one tasty bad boy!! Better than that, sitting there with one of my most favorite persons in the world was an amazing experience.
Well, there you have them, moments that have helped me celebrate life. How about you taking the time today to live life one great moment at a time? They are there for you to grab and enjoy. Capture them moments, not with your camera necessarily, but with the lens of your mind and heart.
Thanks for reading! Please take the time to share a great moment in your life with me in the comment section and get ready for a great Thanksgiving and Christmas!
I’m glad you were wearing gloves, dude! It might have been more intense without them; although the combination of metal and moisture in a live socket was bad enough! It’s amazing when you think about, it, but God has His hand of protection upon us even when our actions could be considered unwise.
Getting back to your topic, one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed happened several years ago. I was delivering mail to an island community. I was taking lunch outside by the clubhouse. Parked by the canal I was enjoying watching the pelicans dive into the water to fish. Out of the corner of my eye I saw two dolphins break the surface to breathe. At least one more joined them and then they started swimming in a circle perhaps 15 or 20 feet in diameter. This went on for about 2 minutes when suddenly the whole surface of the water inside the circle ‘exploded’. The dolphins were herding fish into the circle to eat, and the fish formed a perfect starburst pattern on the surface of the water as they tried to escape! All I could say was, ‘Wow!” If you weren’t looking directly at the spot, you would have missed it, it happened so quickly, but it is something I will never forget. It absolutely made my day!
Wow!!! What an amazing moment…I can picture it all in my mind. Great description, Jim. Awesome moment. Some other moments will not be as incredible, but they are there. Thank the Lord for giving them to us.