Make The Time And Effort To Spend Time With Those You Love

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***THIS DEVOTIONAL TODAY IS DEDICATED TO MY WIFE NAN. 20 YEARS AGO GOD GAVE ME THE GREATEST BLESSING HE POSSIBLY COULD WHEN HE GAVE ME NAN AS A WIFE AND PARTNER IN THIS JOURNEY. HER UNCONDITIONAL LOVE SUSTAINED ME IN MY DARKEST TIMES. THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW TIMES IN MY LIFE THAT I CAN'T COME UP WITH THE WORDS TO EXPRESS WHAT I WANT TO SAY. SO LET ME JUST SAY THIS. I AM MOST BLESSED AMONG MEN. NAN, I LOVE YOU! GOD, THANK YOU!

DAILY DEVOTIONAL WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2002
(Ephesians 5:28, Ephesians 6:2, Ephesians 6:4)

That is how husbands should treat their wives, loving them as parts of themselves. For since a man and his wife are now one, a man is really doing himself a favor and loving himself when he loves his wife!

Honor your father and mother. This is the first of God's Ten Commandments that ends with a promise.

And now a word to you parents. Don't keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving discipline the Lord himself approves, with suggestions and godly advice.

MAKE THE TIME AND EFFORT to spend time with those that you love. One of the greatest tragedies in this life is the time that we DON'T spend with those we love the most, those that God has given us to share this journey with. ***I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU TODAY. MAKE THE TIME, MAKE THE EFFORT TO TAKE ONE DAY, AND SPEND IT WITH THOSE THAT YOU LOVE!!! The fact is, you HAVE the time. As the Nike commercial says, JUST DO IT!

It may be a day alone with your wife or husband. It may be a day with your children. It may be time with your father and/or mother. It may be a day with a grandparent, or an aunt, or an uncle. It may be a day with a close friend. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT GOD GIVES US PEOPLE TO INTIMATELY SHARE THIS BRIEF JOURNEY OF LIFE. SADLY, THESE ARE OFTEN THE PEOPLE THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED THE MOST!!!

One thing I can guarantee you. EVERY person one day will die. Only God knows when that day is. When a person dies, they are not coming back, so we must NEVER neglect this brief time that we have together. IT IS A GIFT FROM GOD!!!

Listen, I understand the day to day reality of life. Work, deadlines, responsibilities, commitments. I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THAT. But let me ask you a question. If you get sick today, maybe serious enough that you have to go to the hospital for a day or two, what will happen? When you get out, get better, you catch up and keep moving forward at work, at school, in the various responsibilities and commitments that you have in your life.

Several weeks ago, I had a VERY busy day. It was tightly scheduled as most every day is for me. But as I was driving back from a meeting, someone driving carelessly rear-ended my car. Thankfully, nobody was injured, but the entire process took close to 3 hours before I could get back to my office and resume my day. THE POINT IS, WE HAVE THE TIME IF WE WANT TO DO IT!!!!

Here is what I am advising you to do. TAKE ONE FULL DAY. FORGET WORK, FORGET SCHOOL, FORGET WHATEVER YOU WOULD NORMALLY DO THAT DAY AND SPEND IT WITH SOMEONE THAT YOU CARE DEEPLY ABOUT. Go take a drive somewhere, do something you both want to do, goof off, LEAVE THE CELL PHONE AND THE PAGER HOME!!!!! Take one day and simply spend it with someone that you love. It won't destroy your career, it won't destroy your schooling, it won't make you irresponsible.

This life is very short. We only have a limited number of days to live. God gives us a few people that we love and are close to, to share this journey with. It is critical that we pick our spots and spend time with them. Trust me, one day they will be gone and you will wish they were here!!! So enjoy those people that God gives us to walk through this life with while we can!!!

I love you and care about you so much. I have preached too many funerals, I have been in too many hospital rooms over the last 10 years when people were wishing that they had more time to spend with those they love. WE TAKE TIME FOR GRANTED. WE TAKE THE PEOPLE WE ARE CLOSEST TO IN THIS LIFE FOR GRANTED. This is a chance for YOU to be in control, for YOU to take some of the precious time God has given you, to enjoy those that He has given you to share this life with.

I will be praying for you today. I pray that these words do not fall on deaf ears, or go unheeded. Life always has emergencies that make us change our normal daily schedule. SPENDING ONE DAY WITH SOMEONE THAT YOU LOVE WHO WILL ONE DAY BE GONE IS AN EMERGENCY!!! Don't take them, or the time God gives you for granted. When they are gone, it will be too late. So do it NOW!!!

We can say "I love you" very easy. However it takes time and effort to SHOW someone that you love them. TAKE THE TIME, MAKE THE EFFORT TODAY.... THERE MAY NOT BE A TOMORROW!!!

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

If I can help you in any way you can contact me through my personal email at bkeller@liveprayer.com.

***I am excited to let you know that the Liveprayer Daily Devotional is now available via audio each day. Simply go to http://www.liveprayer.com/DailyDevotionalAudio.html. Click on "Search by Category", then locate DAILY DEVOTIONAL. I want to thank Ed Morando for making this service available for FREE to Liveprayer.com.

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