It’s amazing how time along with increased maturity changes your perspective about things in life.
If you had told me this when I was young, I wouldn’t know what you were talking about. Life seems endless to the youthful. I remember in my early 20’s driving downhill on a narrow mountain road with a friend in his sports car. I don’t know how fast he was driving, but I remember sticking my head out the window, loving the feel of wind on my face, and telling him, “Drive faster, the wind feels great!” Never for one minute did I think about dying in a accident. We were invincible.
But now that I am older, what I value most is time, and the importance of making the most of it.
Last night I slept hugging my husband. And I thought to myself, “Why did I waste time during our marriage fighting? Why didn’t I hug him more? Time is passing too fast and there is a limited amount of it. There’s not enough time for hugging!”
We are celebrating our 23rd anniversary tomorrow! That’s right, 23 years! Looking back, I have many regrets of my behaviors, ways I could’ve treated my husband better, words I shouldn’t have said. Thankfully forgiving and forgetting are all a part of a loving relationship. So my regret is not that our marriage is ruined. We still have a great marriage. The regret is the opportunity lost to have done something better – extra hugs, more holding hands, more kind words, more laughter.
Getting upset and being offended is a waste of your best resource, your time. Those are lost opportunities to have done something loving instead. I would be so happy to have 23 years more with my husband. But as they say, there are no guarantees in life. We don’t know if we have another month, or a week, or a day.
Don’t waste it with bad temper.
“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Eph 5:13-16 (italics mine)