satin pink sashes in the moment…
We were scurrying around trying to get everything done. Jim and his crew of buddies were dealing with the stuff that guys usually take care of while I focused on the details and decorating. It seemed like we had been preparing for this day for weeks. Erin’s Sweet 16th Birthday Party.
It was two o’clock in the afternoon. With only four hours left, there was still so much that had to be done before her guests would arrive. Centerpiece table decorations, final testing of the twinkle lights scattered all over our backyard, back-up toilet paper in bathrooms (funny – but true)…and the tying of the fuchsia pink sashes.
That’s when it happened. During the tying of beautiful satin sashes.
“Enjoy this moment. Right now! As you tie bows, I’m here with you. Your daughter is sixteen.”
It was as if God sat down at the table…right next to me. While I was feverishly tying a splash of pink all around the tent, He was there. Reminding me to enjoy the moment. So right there under the white tent filled with pink sashes and sparkle, I paused. While the hustle and bustle continued all around me, I stopped. And thanked God. For Erin…for the gift of life and breath…her life and the blessing of every moment that God has given to our family.
And in that moment God gently reminded me that every good and perfect gift comes from Him…including pink satin sashes…the celebrating of turning sixteen…sunshine when the forecast said rain…and moments that turn into memories we never forget.
…the gift is in the moment.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17
This is so beautiful. Too often we are surrounded by moments of great joy and forget to stop and take a moment to appreciate them. You only get that moment–and the opportunity to make those memories–once.
I felt like I Heard God speaking to me today and I immediately thought of you. I’m such a perfectionist sometimes and am always so critical of myself. But today I had a moment where I thought, the only perfect thing in life is God. I have flaws and everyone else has flaws and they are meant to be so that we can see the beauty of God.
Thank you for always reminding me to remember God and be grateful for His blessings. :)
Kelly
thank you Kelly:)…you’re right – you only get to make the memory once!
Wow… I can totally relate because something happened to me when I started my family. I knew that I didn’t want to have to “fit in” with the other parents in my suburban neighborhood. But suddenly, for whatever reason I got enrolled in all the craziness of trying to fit into everyone’s dream that they had of their own child succeeding. One day… as I lay exhausted from trying to run around from games to dance to appointments…. along with my husband… I realized that I had way too much on my plate and started to drop the things that my kid’s truly wanted to be involved in. Once that happened, I was able to live in the moment each time they played hockey, stared in a play, sang in the choir, read a poem that they wrote… all those little things that matter. Today, now that they are older.. two in college and a 16 year old at home… I am in awe of just their voice when we converse on the phone from college. I just learned to quite myself and listen… truly listen to them… That was all HIM doing HIS work!
smiles….I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, my father’s taps on my shoulder, reminding me to be in the moment! hugs
Thank you for sharing that beautiful moment with us. Today I paused a moment, it’s the day to pick up the cap and gowns for graduation. My youngest is graduating from high school, and 9 years ago when my husband passed away, I never thought I would make it this far to be able to appreciate all the help from my Heavenly Father and see my youngest graduate. It has been a long, bumpy road of laughter and tears and I am so proud that my 4th and youngest child is graduating. God is good!!
cheryl…love your comment! “I am in awe of just their voice…” This brought tears to my eyes – especially since little Hunter never spoke a word – yet his life spoke volumes!
Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful! My girls are a little ways off from turning 16… This story reminded me of my moments as I watched my daughter Sofia graduate from Kindergarten last week, and it seems like yesterday she was in my arms, yet there she was singing, “Thy Word.” it takes a second to capture a moment, a lifetime to savor it. Praise God for reminding us of His grace.
LOVE THIS! I got a little teary-eyed thinking of Karis and Kales turning 16 one day, knowing what a GIFT these two precious daughters have already been to Trevor and me. My prayer for Kales is that God would give her the character, strength, and tenderness He has given to Erin.
Love you dearly and wish with my whole heart we could have been there to celebrate her big day. I hope she received her little gift from Karis.(The good news is that Karis is all better from the pneumonia!!)
so true Donna:)
Love this “a second to capture a moment, a lifetime to savor it”
thank you
Erin has yet to open her gift from Karis…I’m going to video her when she does and send it to you. YOU are LOVED!
good stuff…it’s hard to stop and it’s usually at the most inconvenient time that we need to stop…which is why we need to stop right then and there..
in the moment should happen all the time so many things get our attention and we forget to thank our Lord because life is so short. thank you Cathy
Praise God for those small still moments to remember HIS GREATNESS (Goodness doesn’t even cover it!)
What a beautiful milestone in Erin’s life.
Jill
thank you for sharing such a beautiful, personal moment. It is a reminder to all of us from God to slow down and enjoy life.
awesome! Happy sweet 16
I love you my dear friend…your words are so wise and such a comfort. <3
Dear Jill…you had a Mary moment in the middle of your Martha day;-) How awesome that you were listening to that still small voice. He is so cool!
Awesome, Happy Birthday with having 4 kids 8 and under including 3 yr old twins we sometimes have toi stop our busy lives and thanks him!! even for the not so great moments. With that I am ready to start tis summer vacation and will try to play along and relax with my kids because time does go by to fast!!!!
Beautiful…Happy birthday Erin..you are blessed..
this is a good reminder to us all to slow down and enjoy what is right before our eyes….
I am so glad your daughter is having a special 16th birthday celebration. I can still remember mine and I am well past that a few times. I remember giving my daughter a surprise 16th birthday celebration and it was so much fun to watch the kids.
May Erin have a very special 16th birthday celebration and may it make a lasting positive memory in her life. God bless you as parents.
I try everyday to live in the moment…Thank you for the reminder!
Jill,
You heard his still small voice. Be still and know he is God. How we forget the simple things and take time to enjoy. Each day a gift, tomorrow is promised to no one. Happy bday Erin. God bless.
Jill,
I am so happy Erin’s day turned out so well for all of you. Parenting does not come with a learners manual, it is a learn as you go process, ever evolving, and always changing. Every now and then we need to sit back and breathe, take in all the good things that are in our lives.
Everyday upon wakening, I pray “This a day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it.”
Life’s daily struggles can at times seem insurmountable, but once our troubles are turned over the Lord our burdens are lifted from our shoulders.
Jill….thanks for sharing……you are so real….God exposes us…from the inside out…what a blessing! Be still and know that I AM ……. You are a wonderful Mom! Hugs to you! Heading off to Deer Valley Ranch, Colorado, for my quiet time…. time of reflection and renewal….TIME WITH MY HEAVENLY FATHER!
Thank you so much for reminding me of “my blessing”. Since Nadia was born I have called her My Blessing. I have for some reason fallen away from that I think due to an illness I had for about a year and I was focused on my own problems and forgot about that part of my relationship with her. She is my baby (18 now) and will always be “my blessing”. I believe God led me to your journal to remind me of this. Thank you Jill. And God bless you Erin as you continue to be your mother’s Blessing.
Wow. I can’t even imagine what it will be like when your daughters get married. lol. Plenty of time for that, though….Isn’t it great when God gets right up in your face and reminds you how awesome He is. I don’t know about you but I need that from time to time and I thank Him that He does it for me. Thank you God!
This is a beautiful post, Jill! We rarely realize how blessed we are, or how quickly time passes. I am walking through this right now. My youngest daughter is getting ready to turn 18. I can’t tell you how many times I would love to “go back” and have a redo, correct mistakes, or just enjoy the times with them. Thank you so much for reminding us again!
Laurie Connors
Jill- Thank you so much for your constant inspiration! You inspired me today, to stop and enjoy the moment! It is often your posts or statuses that make me think and reflect on what truly matters. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in things and forget that every day is a gift from God…everything in our lives is all mapped out by HIM. Thank you for touching my life in countless ways, Jill!
Jill- Thanks so much for inspiring me! Your statuses, posts, etc. always make me stop and reflect and think about what truly matters in life. Just now I stopped to think about how truly blessed I am in this moment. We get so busy and often forget about what is really important and how each day is a gift. You are a gift from God. Thank you for touching my life.
“Enjoy this moment. Right now! As you tie bows, I’m here with you. Your daughter is sixteen.”
How often do we as mothers get swept into the frenzy of life and forget or neglect to embrace every moment with the realization that once it slips through our fingers, it is gone forever; all that remains is the memory, and even that fades with time.
Only when your girls are grown and their lives take them out from under your wings will you know just how quickly the time has passed. Your relationships with them will deepen and expand and continue to grow as they become the women God intended them to be…but they will never be your baby girls anymore, and only by the grace of God can you let go of their hands while holding them in your heart.
Thank you for sharing this…and the apron is adorable, by the way!
God bless you all…
Michele
Jill, It has been so long since my children turned 16. It has brought back so many memories. I now have new ones to make with my 6 month old
Grandson Parker Emmett. I know that I have to thank God for him everyday. He is my joy of all joys. I never thought that I could love anyone more than my Son and Daughter….but I was so very wrong. My Grandson came from my beautiful daughter and God gave us both such a wonderful gift. Now I can share in another 16th birthday God willing.
Thank you for sharing……
As I am preparing for a graduation party for my foreign exchange student, I needed to read this! She will be leaving us to go back to Italy the day after, so I need to be in the moment while she is still here! Thanks for the great reminder.
God Bless!
Jill,
Your thoughts and comments arrive at the exact time I need to hear them. Thanks for being so willing to share them with us. You are truly an inspiration. May God continue to bless you in your writing ministry!
My three daughters are all grown, but I remember vividly the day my oldest turned 16. I thought to myself “I/ME have a daughter who is 16?” Memories are precious and now I cherish eveyone with my grandchildren. Thanks for the reminder to slow down and take a moment to thank God for these precious children He has given us.
Loved this story! Amazing isn’t it how one min they’re newborns the next they’re Sweet 16!!! Enjoy reading about your daughters and of course Hunter! Your an amazing mother Jill!
Jill,
I couldn’t help but think of one of my favorite authors, Karen Kingsbury while reading your post.The little moments that can grab us, where God gets our attention… Realizing that our time with our children is so fleeting is bittersweet sometimes. We are here to guide them and prepare them for their future and they in return are our perfect gifts from the Lord to give back to Him. I love your insight and how willing you are to share with others. Thank you for allowing us to share in your special moments.