The Spurs and M&Ms

“We see more people trying to catch the moment for later than actually in the moment now.” ~ Singer Jack White commenting on people watching his concerts through devices.

Here’s the way it seems to happen.  A moment…then it’s a memory.  Moment… memory.  You could say “M&M’s” everywhere.  Deleting pictures on my phone the other day I realized I had some shots of what seems like puffs of smoke against a night sky.  What were they?  Fireworks!  As in the ones I missed because I was the guy trying to catch on an iPhone the greatest fireworks display I’d ever seen…to watch it later. #fail. Another moment to memory happened a few years back.  My son sat in his room crying (he was a lot younger at the time) because his buddy Tim Duncan had promised to stop by the house (we lived at the time in St Croix in the USVI) before he left the island for his first year playing in the NBA.  We waited the whole weekend and started to figure he had so many people pulling at his time that he couldn’t work it out.  Then, around 10:00pm Sunday night a knock came at the front door, and there stood Tim Duncan.  It didn’t take long for Justin to get from his bunk bed to the living room to awkwardly sit with his basketball hero.  The M&M happened a few minutes later when the three of us walked across the street to a neighborhood basketball court, turned the lights on, and I watched this gentle giant shoot hoops with my son.  I could’ve taken pictures or shot video but instead just saved the memory.  (I’m pretty sure that lesson Justin gave him is why they’re winning today.)

Years have passed.  As I write this, they’re both older and both in Miami.  Tim Duncan, to take the San Antonio Spurs to victory against LeBron James and the Miami Heat, and my son, at his bachelor’s party, about to get married in 4 weeks.  He’s also celebrating his 26th birthday tonight there in South Beach with his friends, so I think I should be praying right now instead of writing.  Memories come fast folks.  Don’t miss the moment.

This moment God could be speaking to you. Don’t miss it.  He could be telling you, “Come back home” or “I’ve never left your side.” This moment may be a chance for you to say, “I forgive you” or “I love you” to someone. Don’t miss it.  A friend commented to me recently, “You don’t have to change someone’s whole life, just start with a moment.”

Jesus was totally into every moment He lived. Fully present, fully available. Matt. 20:32-34 puts it this way: Jesus stopped and called them, “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.  “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”  Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes.  Immediately they received their sight and followed him. 

Lord give us sight where we are blind that we may see what you are doing in, and through, and around us this moment. 

There’s no place like HOPE, Stefan