Live for Now, Play in the Snow

     Over the weekend my little ‘ole college town awoke to a white blanket of snow. Cheers were shouted, layers were put on, and playing like a kid ensued. Even though it was cold, it warmed my heart to see so many people forget about the “mature image” that we college students are supposed to don.  For a little while, we were kids again. For a few hours, snowballs flew, people ran, and laughter occurred.  Oh yeah, and lots of pictures were taken of the wintry goodness by my friend, John.

Courtesy of JMichael Photographs

     Unfortunately, though the miracle of snow is a beautiful thing to behold, it often doesn’t last very long (at least in the South), and by the middle of the afternoon, that gorgeous blanket became mushy, sparse, and even a little brown in some areas.

     This phenomenon got me thinking about how important it is to appreciate every moment we’re given and how we should live in the here and now. Usually I'm the type of person that likes to know exactly what to expect in every situation, and I write everything in my planner to make sure that this happens. However, we all know that life is full of unseen twists and turns and my eyes were recently opened to how my need for control was actually a sin that was controlling me.

     I recently went on a retreat with the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) at my school, and the theme of the weekend was focusing on the present and giving God our moments. 

Here's a group photo from the trip.

In Matthew 6:34, Jesus says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." This is a command that I wasn't living, and after attending this retreat, my eyes were opened to the error of dwelling on things that may or may not happen. 

     Don't get me wrong, it is important to think about the future and to be prepared, but it's also crucial that we don't let that planning take us away form "playing in the snow" today. If God takes care of birds and lilies, how much more will he take care of us?

    Live in the now. When something beautiful happens, enjoy it. Always appreciate what you have because you don't know when time (or the sun) will melt it away.

P.S. If you like the snow photo, I encourage you visit the sites listed below. John's work is amazing, and if you're looking for a photographer you should definitely check him out!!
JMichael Photographs

 https://www.facebook.com/JMichaelpics?ref=br_tf
http://www.jmichaelphotographs.com/portraits/ 
 John Sellers
https://www.facebook.com/JMichaelPhotographs?fref=ts&ref=br_tf