tomorrow is not promised

I'm thankful for God's continued grace and provision. It's been a season of layers slowly being peeled back on the onion. Heart and mind at His feet. His grace is above and beyond sufficient.

Yesterday, I opened my Instagram feed and read my sister had died. 

We weren't close but it still shook me. She has two babies that are our second son's age. 15. Babies still. She's gone and she leaves behind a husband and two sweet ones and dreams and hopes. But more importantly, did she know Jesus?

For a brief moment, when she was expecting we reconnected. She was expecting twins (their first and miracle babies) and us with our second. We talked about strollers and other baby things. Several months later hubby and I and our two littles had the sweet privilege to visit them and meet their little wee ones. It was the last time we saw them. We enjoyed a nice visit and I later sent her a few books, one, The Power of a Praying Mom. Her response was they didn't have any religious beliefs. And then communication went to Christmas cards, and eventually just me sending a Christmas card with no response back.

15 years ago. And now she's gone. And it was a wake up call to me. It was the reminder that everything here on earth is temporary. This is the one and only life we will have. So the social media, the job, the dreams, the plans, none of them matter. What matters is what I do for Christ. How I love these people with fierceness that God has allowed me the privilege to be with. What matters is that I live with joy, not anxiousness, fear, worry, doubt. Our days are not promised. We have our today. And on the day when I sit at Christ's feet I want Him to say, "well done my good and faithful servant." I want Him to know I lived in this world but not of it. I want Him to know I treasured His life and His death given for me. I want to be able to rest my head at night knowing my life is for Christ and not myself.

Let us wake up to the great calling God has upon our lives. To glorify Him. To lift one another up. To be a light in an ever-darkening world. To love. To rejoice. To speak Truth. To seek His kingdom first. To live with joy and peace, even in the midst of chaos. Because tomorrow is not promised, today is our today.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. 
The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving 
let your requests be made known to God.  
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, 
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4:4-7