Living Life by Design

One of my grandchildren, Alex Ramirez Stacy turned 6 this past week. We had a huge party for me…it was epic. While Alex was jumping in the bounce house, I held his youngest brother, Aramis (5 months old). As I held Aramis, I vividly remembered holding Alex, his 4 year old brother Andrew, and even their father (my son) the very same way. The years have simply flown by. As I sat holding Andrew (he was feeling left out because of all the attention Alex was getting), I thought to myself, time really is our most precious & valuable possession. You can make more money but you cannot create more time. How you spend your time is evidence of where your hope lies. It’s my responsibility as “Papa” to make sure all my 6 grandchildren grow up to be wonderful, compassionate, caring, adults who see that I have put my hope in God and in his Word, and that invest time in both of them.

The psalmist in Psalm 119, places his hope firmly in God’s word: ‘For I have put my hope in your word’ (v.74b). What does this mean in practice? It means spending time seeking to understand God’s Word (vv.73,79), meditate on it (v.78), and delight in it (v.77).

Spending time with God is the way in which God breathes his wisdom into you (v.73, MSG). He comforts you so that you can live, ‘really live… live whole and holy, soul and body’ (vv.77,80a, MSG), and always walk with your ‘head held high’ (v.80b, MSG).

I pray that I when I do pass away I will have left behind a life of love, of memories and a roadmap that my grandchildren can clearly follow.

How about you?

PS – Remember what Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:17, “Command those who are rich in the present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”