I am a new mother of a two month old little girl. The one piece of advice I have heard from everyone including medical staff, friends, and strangers at the airport is “they grow up so fast, enjoy every minute.” As much as I have heard this, I am not sure I know how to fully follow this advice. We all know how fast-paced life can be. Even though I don’t work a traditional job anymore, I can’t stand to sit still. If I sit on the couch for five minutes, all I can think about is what I could get done. Most of you probably live in a world full of demands between work, family, school, your home, sporting events, and church events. We live in a fast-paced world and there is always something else we could get involved in.

Over the past couple of months as I have tried to enjoy every moment of my daughter’s life, I can’t help but think, along with my daughter growing up so fast, life goes by fast. James 4:14 states “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” The other day, I was rocking my daughter to sleep.  While, many times, I am quick to put her down when she falls asleep for a mad dash to clean the house and get dinner ready, I decided to just rock a while. While I was rocking with my precious daughter in my arms, I started to sing devotional songs to her. I did this for at least an hour. I was so proud of myself after that for actually sitting still and enjoying it.  Since then I have taken that rocking time to read the Bible and just talk to God. Then I wondered how many days go by when I don’t meditate on the word or sing praises to God? Colossians 3:17 states “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”  I believe this verse is talking about our whole life, every single task of every single day. We have the opportunity to give glory to God in everything we do.

My daughter has forced me to slow down and enjoy every minute. Along with that, I have taken more time to focus on God. I think the only way we can remember God in every aspect of our lives is to slow down. If you are in a hurry to eat, how likely are you to skip praying beforehand or rush through the prayer, not thinking about what is being said? If we rush from one task or event to another, how do we have time to sit down and read God’s word? If you wake up in the morning with just enough time to get ready before rushing off to work, did you leave enough time to talk to God and read his word? How many days flash before us?

Ecclesiastes 9, verses 7-9 state:

“Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. ⁸ Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. ⁹ Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.

In verse 9, we can replace woman with husband or child or friend. Maybe sometimes our life is too fast to truly enjoy the people in it, including God. I don’t want to later regret not enjoying every single day with my daughter. I pray the same for you.

Heidi Rice

Heidi Rice and her husband, Nick are missionaries on the Navajo reservation in Arizona at the Kayenta church of Christ. They have served there 3 years. Heidi enjoys teaching children’s classes and ladies’ classes as well as speaking at ladies days.