Making the most of our "Mist"

Since the recent events in Colorado, I just can't stop thinking about how precious life is.

 I keep trying to imagine calling my girlfriends, deciding to go see a late night showing of Batman, buying popcorn and sodas, settling in for the movie and then experiencing true, real-life horror. The movies seem like such a safe place to relax and enjoy the evening. Not anymore.

Most of us go about our daily lives believing that nothing like that will ever happen to us. Most of us probably think we have plenty of time and keep putting off the important things like forgiving a loved one, sharing Christ with our friends, or telling our spouses how much they mean to us. The truth is, we may not have plenty of time. We may take our kids to the bowling alley or run to the grocery store and never come home. We just don't know what might happen or when. I'm sure none of the movie go-ers in Aurora ever anticipated what 
they experienced on July 20, 2012.

"You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14

Today I am thankful for life, for each and every breath we take. Every time I hear my sweet baby boy laughing or my 4 year old loudly singing, I need to praise my Father in Heaven. Every breath my boys breathe is a gift from Him. Even the most difficult of moments in this life are a blessing. I am not at all grateful that this terrible event occured in Colorado but I am glad that things like this cause people to pause and consider what is important. May each of us hug our families a little tighter tonight and tell them how much we love them because life is short, it only appears for a little while. I hope we all will strive to make the most of our "mist."