On Saturday morning, I woke up discouraged.

Depressed would probably be a more accurate word to use. For the past couple weeks, we’ve had a break from my husband’s school schedule. Plus, he’s had days off because of the holidays. Let’s just say I’ve enjoyed it. Immensely.

Saturday was the last day off before the dreaded “normal” week would return. Boo. Big fat BOO.

We began our morning as we’ve begun every morning in 2015 – by reading the devotional from this book.

January 3rd’s devotional was all about eternity. This paragraph stuck out to me:

It’s hard to live with eternity in view.
Life does shrink to the moment again and again.
There are moments when it seems that the most important thing in life is getting through this traffic, winning this argument, or satisfying this sexual desire. There are moments when our happiness and contentment shrink to getting those new shoes or to the steak that is just ten minutes away. There are moments when who we are, who God is, and where this whole thing is going shrink into the background of the thoughts, emotions, and needs of the moment. […]

God reminds us that this is not all there is, that we were created and re-created in Christ Jesus for eternity.
He reminds us not to live for the treasures of the moment: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:19-20)
– excerpt from New Morning Mercies by Paul Tripp // January 3

It is so easy to live in the moment. To think that what I’m going through RIGHT NOW is the biggest thing going on. Whether it’s an inconvenience or a blessing, I many times allow my current circumstances to define my attitude and actions. Which is why when I woke up, remembering that Saturday was my husband’s last “free day” I was suddenly super bummed.

Several hours later, I learned that a girl who graduated from our youth group 4 years ago had a ruptured aneurysm on Friday. As I write this, she’s still in the hospital in a deep coma.

Talk about being jolted back to reality.

You know what reality is?

Reality is that there are a lot of things going on in my life right now – in yours too, I bet.

Do you know what the bigger reality is? Bigger than my blessings, problems, schedule, and inconveniences?

Eternity.

Eternity doesn’t change the reality of today’s struggles. It changes how I view them.

There are some times when eternity seems so very far away. So far away that I really don’t give it much thought. And there are other times when God & eternity seem so close. When I’m reminded by the truth that life is a vapor. It appears for a short time and then is gone without a trace.

Let’s not be dominated by our vapor of life. Let’s keep the big picture of God & eternity in the forefront of our minds.
How can we do that? By looking for Him in everything. Everything.

Sometimes it’s good to be jolted. 

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11:33-36

God begins, ends, and is through all things. Let’s look to Him today.