Recently, my family escaped to Colorado for a week in the mountains.
It is truly my favorite place on earth. It is cool. It is beautiful. It is cool. It is peaceful.
It is cool . . .
We rented a home in a neighborhood, but we couldn’t see any other houses once we turned onto the property. When I was sitting on the deck, I could hear the sound of the stream running behind the house. We even had a fire in the fireplace one night.
The description of the house indicated that a family of moose lived on property. I wanted to see one so badly!
I sat on the deck early in the morning, watching for said family of moose. I sat on the deck late in the afternoon. I sat on the deck in the early evening.
Any time we were at the house, I was on that deck watching for the moose that was described online and detailed in the house’s guest book.
A missed chipmunk and some cheesy crackers
Towards the end of the week, I was on moose watch. My daughter joined me outside and suddenly shouted: “Mom, look!” My first response: “Did you see the moose?”
“No,” she replied, “but look at that chipmunk. He is eating the goldfish I dropped down there yesterday. Isn’t he adorable?” Then she asked me: “Has he been here every day?”
I stood up and gazed down at the darling little chipmunk. He looked so cute holding the goldfish between his little paws. Apparently, someone had spilled several cheesy, fish-shaped crackers. Because as he searched, and he found more than one.
I don’t know how many goldfish we watched him eat. But I was pretty sure that he would not be hungry for a long while.
How the moose overshadows the chipmunk
I thought about her question: “Has he been here every day?”
The truth is, I didn’t know. I had spent so much time scanning the area for a moose that I failed to notice the chipmunk.
We do this in life too. We get our mind set on one particular thing. While waiting for that one thing, we miss everything else going on around us. I have been guilty of doing this in parenting.
We wait for the next milestone, the next birthday, the next school year, the next . . . We get so excited about what is coming, we miss what is happening right in front of our eyes.
I was excited for my kids to sleep through the night. But when they did, I realized I missed the quiet moments of rocking and singing—just me and my baby snuggled up against my chest. Those early mornings provided sweet prayer time for each of my kids.
I unexpectedly missed it.
Exciting firsts and the “but thens”
I was excited for my kids to start school. But when they did, it was never the same again.
School mornings are hectic at my house. I can’t seem to find the sweet spot between plenty of time (without too much time) and “RUN! The bell is about to ring.”
School afternoons are filled with homework, after school appointments, and sports. By the time we finish all the things, it’s time for bed. Then, just as quickly, it’s time to get up and do it all over again.
I was excited for my kids to begin sports. But then, their team obligations take over every spare second of our time. Practices, games, tournaments, and fundraisers . . . The commitments never seem to end.
While our first child did not leave the house for the recommended two months, our third child made her debut at a soccer game when she was ten days old!
I got excited about their driver’s licenses.
But then, I realized how much we spoke to each other about what was going on in the car. They were truly a captive audience. Now their friends are the ones in the driver’s or passenger’s seat, hearing about all that is going in in their lives.
Sometimes, I don’t even know what I am looking for, I just know that something new or different has to be on the horizon.
I don’t want to miss it.
Make the most of now
We get excited about so many upcoming things in the lives of our kids. And we should! Celebrating milestones is a huge part of parenting.
But what I have realized about myself is this: I have to be careful not to spend so much time looking forward to what is coming, that I miss what is happening right now.
God only gives us one opportunity to make the most of now.
I never saw a moose from the deck. But I saw tons of chipmunks. I saw wild rabbits big enough for storybooks. I saw hummingbirds with the most vibrant colors imaginable. And I saw a full rainbow.
I would have missed it all, had I continued to scan the brush for the elusive moose. A minor change in position (shifting my eyes) and perspective (what can I see right now) changed everything.
“Yet, you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” —James 4:14
