Cash that Check

Last week was a hard one to say the least. My husband and I were upstairs in our bedroom as I was nursing our littlest and our older two girls were playing. We received one frantic call after another before we could reach the phone. We looked at one another and just knew, something was up – and likely bad news was looming, there were too many calls in a row for it to be anything casual.

I only had to return one call before we received what was devastating his family. His nephew had died tragically much too soon in life. As I shared this with my husband we wept together for the loss that had just hit. Only moments later we were packing up in a windstorm-like frenzy so we could make our way to be with his sister, to help and comfort in any way we could. Thankfully my parents live along the way and we were able to have our girls stay with them so that they wouldn't have to know grief or see such pain at their tender young ages.

I have never been through anything of such gravity before that week and one of my most prevalent thoughts was of rushing home to wrap up my little ones and give them the biggest longest hug ever – in those days (and still to be honest) I just wanted to be able to wrap my arms around them for a hug that never ends. When I did see them I tried to do just that :) but bless their little hearts they could only stay squeezed up in my arms for a couple of minutes before trying to break free.

In that week and still my heart breaks for my sister-in-law, and I pray that God can bring her peace and comfort her.

Life is short, no matter how “long” we live, it's still short. This was a reality check for me in a way. This has made me think about all that goes on in life and realize so much of it is just little stuff, the day to day stuff. Life is to be lived and loved. I want to live every moment intentionally so that not a single moment is “wasted” or “idle” or spent poorly.

Each day we wake up, God is putting a check in our hand for LIFE. We should take that check and cash it in, don't set it on the dresser to get lost or put it in the bank for later, cash it in and LIVE IT and LOVE IT. We do not know when we will stop getting these “checks” from God so let us make the most of the ones we do get.

At the end of my life I want everyone I know to know how very much I loved them. I want everyone to see how much I truly lived. I want to make the most of all the time I have and I want bless the people in my life with my love and my time and my happiness and my heart …. with everything I have, I want to pour it out on each one of them holding nothing back, until it's all spent up.

“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” 1Timothy 6:7 [NIV].

The Parable of the Talents

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

After a long time the master of those sevants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five, 'Master,' he said 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

“His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share you master's happiness!”

“The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'

“His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your masters's happiness!'

“Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed, So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

“His master replied, 'You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

“ 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. Fore everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' “

-Matthew 25:24-30 [NIV]

Okay so this parable has a literal and a figurative translation, and I'm taking it here in a metaphorical sense that the talent represents life – it's not the only way this parable is used or applied, but this is how it spoke to me this morning.

Life has hit with some pretty hard blows, and I'm not usually one to start in with a “woe is me” attitude (and I'm still not) but I do live in reality and I do know that's also life. Hard blows will hit but God will always be there. Life will never be perfect, but we can live it to it's fullest. Times may get tough, but we can always try our hardest. We may tire, but God will always be our strength.

What a tragic, devastating, and sad thing that has happened and my heart hurts for the suffering and pain for that side of the family. I pray and will keep praying for them. I am driven by this with a new zest to have no regrets to live fully and love deeply and I will live intentionally because one day all too soon it will be cut short.

How do y'all plan to spend your talents?  What things do you feel lead to do with them? Let me know :)

May God Bless you all and may you also live and love to the fullest. Life is is full of blessings, enjoy them y'all ;)



Side note:  Here is a link to the memorial fund if anyone wants to make a contribution, feel free to do so but don't feel pressed or obligated.
https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/kjm2/zachary-batt-memorial-fund