If you walk into my office and look around, you will find something that is very near to my heart. If you rifle through my wallet (don’t ever do that) you would find it there as well. If you walked in nearly every room of my house, it would be there. If you went through my phone, computer, and iPad, it would be there as well. What is it you ask? What exactly would you find?

A reminder: You would find a reminder of what it felt like then:

I will never forget what it felt like in the early hours of July 15 2010. My wife awoke to the beginnings of labor pains. In flash we were at the hospital which was 45 mins away. They confirmed that she was indeed in labor. When our beautiful baby girl was born the earth stood still to admire her beauty. People started to file through the hospital with only one mission, they had to see my daughter. I’m sure this may be a little over exaggerating, but this is exactly how I felt.

All the nurses left the room it was just me, my bride, and tis beautiful angel. Meagan handed Jacy to me. This was the first time I have EVER held a newborn. I wanted the first newborn that I held to be my own. Tears started flowing down my face and we prayed that God would help us be who we needed to be to give this precious gift everything that she needs spiritually, mentally, and physically.

I truly felt at that moment in time that my life was complete:

I found myself in another dark room looking at a screen that was showing me another baby that was growing. I then heard the words… “It’s a boy!” I almost collapsed to the floor. Initially my first thought was, “But, I love my girl so much, I can’t imagine loving anyone as much as I do her.”

Then those thoughts quickly changed and I began to think about the times my dad took me camping, hunting, fishing, taught me how to work, taught me how to throw a football. I can do those things with my son! Maybe he will become a pro football player! Maybe he will bebe bigger and stronger than his daddy! Maybe… He will choose to preach the gospel.

I made a promise to myself to do everything that I could to not forget what I felt then. The reminders that I spoke of earlier are pictures from the first few days of my children’s life. It serves as a reminder of how I felt at that time. However, it serves as another reminder that I did not intend.

It reminds me that time is running out:

You see, my children although young, look a lot different than they did. Those hands that used to barely fit around my finger are now used to play with toys, clean up their rooms, hold their bibles, feed themselves, and give high fives.

Those little legs that didn’t really do anything now carry them (sometimes at a high rate of speed!:)

Those cute little sounds have turned into thoughtful sentences.

In short, my babies, are no longer babies.

How could this happen? I’ve held them every day. Their mother and I read to them, craft with them, wrestle with them, you name it, we do it. Why are they slipping away?

God said that they would. James 4:14- “… What is your life? You are but a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away”

How are you spending your vapor? Before we know it, it will be gone.