Galatians 6:9 – At the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (NIV)

I never get tired of reminding myself what life is all about.

I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband died suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there.

With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, "Before class is over, I would like to share with all of you a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important."

"Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves… and none of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is God's way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day."

Her eyes beginning to water, she went on, "So I would like you all to make me a promise: from now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see. It could be a scent, perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Please, look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are the "stuff" of life. These are the little things we are put here on earth to enjoy, the things we often take for granted. We must make it important to notice them, for at any time… it can all be taken away."

The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook.

Let us take notice of something special during lunch hour today. Depending on the climate, we might take a walk in the snow, or a stroll on the beach. For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do.

Prayer: Help us, Lord, to live out our faith and not to be discouraged, so that we too can reap a harvest of spiritual blessings. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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