Moments.

Life is made up of them. Some of them are exhilarating, others depressing. Quite a few of them are actually downright boring. There’s no way of knowing when one moment will end and when the next will begin or if a moment that began in joy will end in pain, and vice versa. But one thing is true about all of them: they are fleeting.

That’s part of the beauty of life. No moment lasts forever. They come and go, and though we cannot hold them, we know that more will follow, and who is to say that those will not be more lovely than the ones we cling to now? Through all the changeableness of life, through the moments we hold tightly and the ones we wish would end, there is one constant, and that is the One Who created us.

God’s goodness to His people never changes. His plan of redemption never changes. And His promise of life unending will never change either. Someday, if we cling tightly to His hand and follow Him through fire and bliss alike, we will find life that has no end. We will no longer see in moments but in eternity, and all that we called beautiful in this life will be as pale glass and fallen ash in comparison.

This life is just a dressing room for that one, and moment by moment, our chances to make this life something worthwhile are slipping away. Make the most of those chances. Don’t waste them. You won’t get them back.

Life is here. Life is now. Make every moment beautiful.

And don’t forget to thank the One from whom each moment and each beauty comes. . . Thanksgiving Day has ended, but God’s mercies have not. Look around you at the life He’s given and thank Him for the many, many things that make life truly beautiful.

Those untouchable, unfathomable wonders of life. . .

. . . the ghostly magnificence of moonlight upon snowy peaks
. . . drops of crimson blood that somehow cleanse instead of stain
. . . precious, priceless hope that shines out irresistibly in the face of despair
. . . the whisper of starlight over night-kissed fields
. . . peace that passes understanding
. . . simple words on a page
. . . the inexplicable glory of light illuminating cathedrals of clouds and worlds within worlds
. . . family—those amazing people who have been present in every chapter of your life and still love you beyond reason
. . . friends—the ones who relight your candle, who share your tears as well as your laughter, who walk beside you even when they don’t know where you’re going

And the simpler things that surround us. . .

. . . the rich serenity of soft piano lullabies
. . . a McDonalds table full and overflowing with talk and laughter and friends
. . . the pure exhilaration of being lost within the harsh embrace of wind and rain
. . . the achingly sweet blather of a child who yet knows nothing but innocence
. . . a perfect hand of rook cards
. . . muddy hands from playing disc golf in the rain
. . . the sweet and sweaty relief that comes after reaching the top of the mountain
. . . a freshly plucked wildflower, given from the hand of someone you love

Yes, life is incredibly beautiful, and perhaps all the more so because of how undeserving we are of it. God is so good. His mercies are new every morning. Have you thanked Him yet today?

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23