Thursday, August 22, 2013

Five Minute Friday - Last

Five Minute FridayWriting again this week with Lisa Jo Baker and the Five Minute Friday Crew. This blessed, beautiful place where we open our hearts and let words and tears and the inner workings of our lives bleed and flow and dance across the virtual pages. Yes, this community opens wide and invites you in to share. Come and visit and read. You will be blessed.

This Week: Last

Go

The light fades earlier; a little more each day. This is the hardest part of summer for me. Saying goodbye to the light that has lingered all the way past nine o’clock in the evenings. Stretching out across the sky in an artist’s palette of rose, gold, and lavender. It’s the tipping point into Autumn. The beginning of the turning of the season. And I just want it to linger a bit longer.

I find I am this way with so many things. Not just seasons. Not just summer. Anything that brings a smile, which stirs up joy, that makes happiness overflow until it runs in rivulets down your cheeks, I just want it to hang on. I want it to last. I remember feeling that way standing around the campfire at youth camp – arms flung around my friends; singing praises into the night sky until we were hoarse. I wanted to stay on the mountaintop. I remember feeling this way when visiting family that I haven’t seen in years. We stay up late curled up on sofas with warm mugs of coffee or tea or cider and pretend that we’ll sleep in another life. I want to stay in the warmth of their love.

I wrote about something similar earlier this week. About hanging onto things – keeping them for the someday that was never coming. Stockpiling soaps, and, lotions, and notebooks, and all kinds of goodness knows what else, trying to make them last for some future date that was never going to come.
Photo by earl53

I’m thinking hard about the now. About how these moments need to be seized now. How the things that should be made special should be made special now. The smiles we share, the joy we feel, the love we share – it doesn’t work to try and hold it in a bottle and save it up or store it up. We honor it, and multiply it when we use it and share it now. When we take the love that we have been given and we bless others with it now.

God gave us gifts to use and share to edify each other, and lift each other up, and encourage those around us, and He gave them to us to do those things now. He’s given us an abundance of blessings in our lives – even if we feel that we are among the very least (we have so much more than we know) – and He’s given us those blessings so we can reach out and touch those who are broken, and needy, and without Him … now.

As I write, the thing that comes to mind so strongly is that the only way we can make these gifts and blessings last, is to give them away.

It is a risk.
It is scary.
It makes us vulnerable.
But it is what we are called to do.
Reach out.
Do it now.
Be the miracle.
I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by faith and that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God. With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:17-21 NCV
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21 comments :

  1. Oh yes, great words my friend. We really do have to step out and share. We can't keep it all inside, locked away. Sharing is what makes the memories that last forever. Thanks for sharing with us today!

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    1. This is what I'm working on Debi! Trying to move outside my comfort zone to be the blessing. Thank you for your encouragement.

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  2. Beautiful. I so understand with the diminishing light and getting ready for school. I do not want to think of the summer ending, but really, it's new beginnings, isn't it?!?!?! Thanks for sharing!

    http://wp.me/p97XK-5dJ

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    1. I love each season for their own reasons - and really do love fall. But I love the new beginnings - and the idea that we do these things now! Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. Beautifully said! Thank you for sharing on FMF!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. I love this community so very much.

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  4. Oh yes...it's in the giving away we receive...for keeps. {HUGS}
    am always blessed when I come here...thank you for showing me glimpses of Him...

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    1. Thank you Nikki. Love it when you visit. Thank you for the encouragement.

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  5. be the miracle.
    yep.
    this post made me think of Ann Voskamp. And that's a good thing. =)

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    1. Wow. What a compliment. Thank you so much. I adore her and aspire to write with that kind of inspiration!

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  6. Beautifully written and so much truth here! Thank you!!!

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    1. Thank you Becky. Your kindness means so much - as does your visit!

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  7. Thank you Denise. Good to see you :)

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  8. LOVE this! It is so true! And I for one and so very grateful that you are taking a risk and giving to me... and I pray you are blessed as I am in the sharing! I Can. Not. Wait!

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    1. Thank you wonderful friend of mine! I am always blessed when I share with you. Sure, sharing my teeny, messy house seems risky (oh, the horror!), but it will be wonderful. Blessings to you.

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  9. Rebekah,
    I love your honest confession of how we want to hang on to memories, things, people, and places in an effort to make them last, but the giving away and letting go holds more lasting power for us. Beautiful!

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    1. I appreciate this Amy. When I recommitted to blogging, I promised honesty and transparency. I hope I am achieving that. Your words mean so much, friend. Thank you.

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  10. Great post! I too want to hold onto things and make them last as long as possible. But sometimes God just wants us to let go so that He can give us another gift that we will want to hold on to again! He's good like that!

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  11. Friend, this is an inspiring post...not just to seize every single moment, but to look for the beauty in each day. It's something I want to do but am not always intentional about. Love this...and the reminder. Thank you! :)

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  13. "the only way we can make these gifts and blessings last, is to give them away. "
    oh how i love this. i've been learning more and more about being a g.i.v.e.r., in ALL things - especially love and blessings, however small. thank you for sharing your heart - so much blessing can come out of those 5 short minutes of writing! =)
    love to you today <3
    ~traci

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Thank you for the kindess of your comment. I pray your patience with the word verification. I've had such troubles with spammers lately. Thank you for grace. I look forward to reading all the comments and responding. I appreciate you!