Don’t Blink

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.  What is your life?  For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (James 4:14)

It’s hard these days to distinguish between so many music artists across all venues.  While out with our oldest grandson driving around the Dallas area catching up and talking about life, girls, school, and golf, he got me listening to some country music again.  The words of what was a new-to-me-at-least song by Kenny Chesney caught my attention.  The song is entitled “Don’t Blink” and one of the lines says, “Don’t blink you just might miss your babies growing like mine did turning into moms and dads …!”

Good advice for anyone!  Time gets away from all of us doesn’t it as the hours turn into days, then into weeks, months begin to accumulate and all of a sudden the years have passed.  We only get one pass at this life so in the words of the inspired apostle Paul we all need to be “redeeming the time” (Ephesians 5:16) and use every chance we have for the doing of good and right!

A few suggestions for each of us in this here today- gone tomorrow world that we are living in is not to blink:

• Tell your kids and your grandkids how much you love them … EVERY DAY. One day they will be up and gone … and life will have gone on and so may have you!  Don’t blink …
• Make the time to listen to your children’s and grandchildren’s hearts and to all that cause their young hearts to race or slow down. Listen to what causes their concerns and fears (and they do have them!).  There is more going in their little hearts than we realize so make the most of every opportunity to listen to them. Don’t blink …those opportunities don’t stay around for very long.
• Make the time to show your young how important they are to God! They need to know that God is always there for them and that He is watching over them, cares for them and will protect them and that they belong to Him! Don’t blink … the world will tell them otherwise!
• Make the time to show your young how important they are to you. They need the knowledge and the assurance of a relationship with you that will weather any storm or situation.  Don’t blink … time flies by whether you’re having fun or not.
• Make the time to talk with them about the events of school, their day and their lives. Listen to their stories especially right after school while they are still fresh on their minds.  Folks, our young folks (little, bigger and older) need to know that we care!  If we don’t let them know someone else might and it just might be the wrong someone else.  Don’t blink …show them how much you care while you can.
• Find things about them you can encourage and reinforce about their talents, character and life. Don’t always feel the need to just be correcting and admonishing them, and even when you must discipline them, follow the perfect example of our Heavenly Father in how He disciplines and corrects His children (that would be each of us!).  Don’t blink … you’re helping them form memories and values they will carry with them the rest of their lives!

So, like the old man in the song says, “All I can say is, Don’t blink!” Come to think of it, these suggestions could apply to every relationship in life couldn’t they!

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15, 16).

Bill Fairchild, Jr.