15!

It is so difficult to believe that my BABY will be 15 on Saturday! Where has the time gone? To say it flies is an understatement...I think it's on warp speed! Hours may seem to linger, but days, weeks and months fly by. Do you ever wonder what you've done that truly makes a difference? Has your life been worth it? Have you wasted time? (Who hasn't?!) These are the thoughts of those leaning towards a mid-life crisis. No, I don't think I'm having one - in fact, I'm probably past the age of that. But at various times in our lives we do wonder what we are doing that really makes a difference.

I love the story of Elijah told in 1 Kings 18-19. Yesterday I read of Elijah's victory over the prophets of Baal and today I read of his fear, no outright terror, of Jezebel! How quickly our mountain top experiences can turn into a valley of uncertainty! I think Elijah is the ultimate "drama king." He goes from taunting the prophets of Baal to wanting to die in less than 30 verses! By the time we get to 1 Kings 19, he is worn out, and I wonder if he feels like nothing he does makes a difference. After all, he defeated the prophets, but nothing seemed to change - Jezebel was still up to her old tricks.

At the end of that section of the story we see that God had it all under control. He had a plan for Ahab and Jezebel, for Elijah and for the nation of Israel. When we feel like our time has been for nothing, we need to remember that God's still working in and through us. Maybe we can't see where we've made a difference, but God can. In our everyday living, God is working. As we raise our children, God is working; as we develop our relationships, God is working; as we serve on committees, God is working; as we clean our houses, serve in the community, run our errands, God is working.

If we allow God to work in and through us, even though time flies, we are making a difference, in the lives of our children, in the lives of those we love, in our community and in our jobs.

So this year, we will again measure Drew on the door frame, who is now at least as tall as his dad if not taller. We will celebrate with gifts and a special meal. We will hold on to these moments...as time continues to fly.