Carpe diem Seize the day
He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him (John 1:11)
December 26, 2010
We’ve all heard the saying: “You don’t appreciate what you have until you lose it.”
This happens more frequently during Christmas, causing stress and depression.
The running about and the urge to buy the perfect gift, to prepare the perfect meal or dessert, to find the right dress (or suit), often times pulls us away from the most important things in our lives: our human and divine relationships.
It’s sad that only when death comes near our door, we learn to value the relationships that still remain. With this as a lesson, but not for too long, we begin to appreciate and take advantage of the little time we have with our loved ones. We have to admit that relatively speaking, our days in this world are few. And that is why we ought to take advantage and not allow key moments in our lives to escape us.
That is the ideal. However, it amazes me the way in which, knowing that life is fragile and temporary, we place more emphasis on material things, in the temporal things, than on the persons that are important to us.
I invite you to place yourself in the shoes of the following individuals:
Grandchild calling grandpa in the nursing home: “Hi grandpa. I’m sorry but I can’t come to visit you today because I have to finish buying and packing up my Christmas gifts. Merry Christmas. Love you. Bye. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.
Church member to pastor: “Pastor, tomorrow I can’t go to church because I’m very tired… I’ve worked all week, plus, tonight we’re going to a Christmas party and will be up all night.” Put yourself in God’s shoes. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.
Daughter calling mom in the hospital: “Mom, I can’t come to visit you today because I have to put up my Christmas tree and I have people coming over. Merry Christmas. Bye.” He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him
Father to son who is in baseball championship game: “Son, I can’t be at your game today because it’s during work hours and I have a meeting with a very important client.” What is the father saying? That a client is more important than the son. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.
In each of the scenarios, a person is telling the other that they have something more important than him/her.
Life is fragile and short. We can’t assume that grandpa, mom, the son, or even the church will be alive tomorrow. Yes, even churches die due to lack of warmth and commitment.
How often have we heard “I want roses while I’m alive”. Nevertheless, we place our most loved persons in the back of the line, behind parties and consumerism, reasoning that “they will understand and forgive.” That’s our line of reasoning, until our loved person leaves this world. When we allow special moments to escape, there’s no way to recapture the past.
Carpe diem is a latin phrase that means “seize the day”, or, “don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” That’s what my wife Margarita has told me for as far back as I can remember (I’m really a slow learner – ask her). But I confess that after 35 years, I’m learning to do what I’m asked, when I’m asked, and enjoy serving my neighbor as if I was doing it “unto The Lord Jesus.
I’ve always admired my wife’s relationship with her mother. Since we got married, almost every day, my wife would call her mother to say hello. And when my in-laws moved back to Greece, during the last 15 years, at 10 am every Saturday, Margarita was on the phone speaking to her mother.
I thank God because my daughter is taking after mom. Sophia calls her mom, not every day, but at least four times per week, and she also calls me, especially when Margarita is out of the country for an extended time.
My parents also retired to Ecuador in the early nineties. One of the things I regret is that I didn’t make an effort to stay in frequent contact with my mother. It was not my habit. However, what I would give now to hear her warm loving words!
When we allow special moments to escape us, there is no way to recapture the past. When we don’t make space to share special moments with our loved ones, we are telling them “you are not that important.” In other words, He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.
I admit that I’m a bit slow, but I’ve learned the lesson. “We don’t appreciate what we have until we lose it. But I’m not going to make the same mistake twice. My father is still alive, and in my heart, I’ve determined to take advantage of whatever time we have left. Carpe diem.
Nowadays, I am taking full advantage of the remaining days or years that my old man has. Now I am intentional about not losing the habit of maintaining contact with dad. When we speak only once per week, my dad gets sad. We speak two or three times per week via Skype, and sometimes twice in one day. I give God the glory that my dad has not allowed age (86) to prevent him from using this new technology.
My brothers, it’s true that we have many obligations, many commitments, many things to do today and tomorrow; that is why it’s good to use a planner to help us stay focused on the future, without losing sight of the present. It’s good to make a list of the important people in our life to help us not lose sight or contact with them, and apply the following three steps:
1. Develop a list of your objectives with those persons. For example: Speak with dad at least two times per week. Go to every church service throughout the year. Write a letter or email to a family member at least once per month (or communicate via Skype).
2. Use your planner, calendar to remind you about this commitment. It’s difficult to remember everything we have to do from memory. Last week someone called me to express sorrow because they forgot what day it was and didn’t come to church service. I admit that I sometimes forget the day of the week, especially on Mondays, my day off, when I don’t look at my Blackberry at all.
3. Create special moments to share together. To tell them how much you appreciate them and the impact they’ve made in your life. As a musician I’ve sung “Mi Viejo” (My old man) in more than a few funerals. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x36zzkUB2tc
Do you want to create a special moment and make your “old man” happy? Dedicate or sing to him “my old man” while he’s alive. Tell him: “Today, this moment, I have nothing more important in my life aside from you.”
Carpe diem. Seize the day. The most wonderful treasures of this world are the relationships that we cultivate. The most beautiful gift that you can give to another human being is our time and affection.
So, we get to the heart of the Christmas message.
Today we celebrate the birth of our lord Jesus Christ. Emmanuel, which means “God with us”. You see, God created us in order to have an intimate and personal relationship with Him. Of all the relationships that we maintain, of all the things we do around Christmas, I invite you to place God in your list as the most important relationship that can exist for you, as the most important visit that you can make, as the most important call to make for the day. Say to God; “Today, this moment, I have nothing more important in my life aside from you.” In fact, take a moment right now and say to God: “Today, this moment, I have nothing more important in my life aside from you.”
The greatest commandment says that we shall Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deut. 6:5). If we place God first at the top of our to-do list, our human relationships will benefit from our Divine relationship and we’ll experience more peace and joy.
The wonder of Christmas is that God emptied Himself from the fullness of His Majesty and came to live among us.
The All-Mighty emptied Himself of His power and might, took upon himself a weak human body, lived a perfect life, in order to show us that our power and might come from God. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13)
The wonder of Christmas is that God emptied Himself of His Divinity and came down to die for our sins, and thereby recue us from eternal death and from the exhaustion and stress that stem from our thirst to consume and party.
The wonder of these Christmas moments are better appreciated when we gather in church to praise and worship God for giving us the greatest and most valuable gift in this world; a new opportunity at eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
But many lose out on experiencing the true Christmas moments because of the rush of the season, because of the pressure to buy and pack that perfect gift, for the eagerness to go to the baddest party, and thus, in the same manner as the grandchild whose grandfather was in a nursing home, we lose out on experiencing the Christmas moment with the body of Christ, the church.
Emmanuel means God with us. When we place God or the church at the bottom of our to-do list, we miss out on giving the best possible gift that we could give to another human being; the knowledge and friendship with Jesus Christ.
This week I heard about a family’s complaint that they “spent nearly $6000 last Christmas, and they had nothing to show for it.” How sad!
All of us were created in the image of God, and in each of us there’s a tiny remnant in our DNA of the divine image which was damaged when sin entered the world. That remnant is dying to sprout up again. Every human being has a deep desire to experience the reality of the incarnation; of knowing God and of being known by Him. God has given the church, His children, the great privilege of being His ambassadors. The reason of our existence, in the words of the famous preacher Peter Marshall, is to “introduce people to Christ. That is our entire business. Nothing else.”
During Christmas, we have to options: To intentionally seek the face of Christ and experience the true Christmas moment, o let is pass away in favor of parties and consumerism which rob us of the privilege of making a place for Jesus Christ in our agenda.
When Jesus was born, there was no place for Christ at the inn. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him (John 1:11)
Why was there no room? Would it have made a difference if the inn keeper had known who was knocking at the door? Didn’t he know that Joseph came from the line of King David? No! He did not recognize the Royal family.
What about us?
Would we recognize Jesus if he came to our home?
What would we have to change in our home or agenda to make room for Jesus?
The greatest and most wonderful event in this world is before us. There is no guaranty that tomorrow we’d be alive and have the ability to invite Jesus into our heart and home.
We cannot let the moment pass. Carpe diem! Seize the day! There is much to do, but right now, this special moment is a sacred moment. As the bible says “Stand firm and see the LORD’s salvation He will provide for you today.” (Ex. 14:13)
Rev. 3:20 Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me.
God forbid that it ever be said of one who calls him/herself a Christian: He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him (John 1:11)
We have two options; Open or close the door.
All the promises of God are YES is Jesus Christ. All the promises of God are True. He offers us hope, peace, and brings us the love of God. Carpe Diem! Let us not lose out on the opportunity. Every reasonable person would first make a place for Jesus.
Have you made room for Christ in your heart?
This Christmas and throughout 2011 and always, let’s say to Jesus: “Today, this moment, I have nothing more important in my life aside from you and your will for my life. Come into my heart, and make it your own.”
May God bless His Word and church.
