There was this one sentence, from a book, that made me sit up and pay closer attention:
We lost the day in love.
That’s exactly what happened to these last nine days.
The Teens (my 16- and 18-year-old grandkids) spent their spring break with me here in the Pacific Northwest.
The week was lost riding four-wheelers and riding horses and fishing and hiking and kayaking.
We lost the week eating at food trucks, hanging out with friends and family, playing ping-pong and pool, bowling, and catching a Super Hero movie.
Lost, driving through Dutch Bros for caffeinated beverages, savoring ice cream cones, and browsing downtown stores.
We got lost in conversations about their jobs, and future goals, and childhood memories, and stories of their mom and uncle as kids.
There are gifts that are put on display, and gifts that are meant to be utilized.
I think the gift of this one, irreplaceable life—represented by minutes and days and weeks—is meant to be utilized.
Not hoarded, not protected behind glass.
But spent.
Given away.
I want whole days to be lost in loving people, and not lost in spending them on myself.
Jesus had a friend named John who wrote this:
God so loved the world that He gave …
The entire Christmas and Easter stories are wrapped up in those eight words.
God loved mankind so much that He gave His Son, Jesus — born on this earth in a human body with human emotions so He could relate to our heartaches, our pain and discouragement, our temptations.
Jesus loved mankind so much that He gave His life as the ultimate atonement for our arrogance and selfishness, our lies and unkindness and greed and hatred.
Likewise, we love by giving. By losing.
I lost a full week to my grands. And it was glorious, and laughter-filled, and exhilarating.
It is in giving, in losing, that we gain so much more.
P.S.
Because hugging a steaming cup of Chai tea is part of the pleasure of drinking Chai tea, the grandkids all make fun of me while exaggerating my delight.
See if I take them for caffeine ever again.
Grace Lawson
So grateful you had such wonderful quality time with family !!! And Happy Easter !! Hallelujah He is indeed Risen !!!
Marlys Johnson
Thank you, Grace!
Darrell Lake
Well said once again Marlys… What a memorial Spring Break you provided for your two grand teens… Your gift was not something they could have purchased from Amazon with a gift card or picked up at the Mall but something much more valuable than that, the memories you gave them and they gave you that will last a life time. Memories we make with those with love are always the best gifts of all. 🙂 Blessings to you always….
Marlys Johnson
Well said, Darrell: “Memories we make with those we love are always the best gifts of all.” Thank you.
Bre
Amazing!! Time well “lost” ?❤️
Marlys Johnson
Perfectly worded, Bre: “Time well lost.” I like that!
Nasus
Priceless! One day your two will be telling their own grandkidlets about this precious time with their unbelievably amazing grandmother, way back when! The joy of the moment then becomes recyclable, many, many times over! What a great investment!
// Yes, Jesus is risen indeed! Alleluia! How blessed and thankful I am!
Marlys Johnson
“The joy of the moment then becomes recyclable …” Wow, I love how you said that, Nasus. Thank you!
Darlene
Marlys -That is so true the older we get we hang on those Memories we have of the fun times we’ve had with family and Friends I cherish the ones I have of the ones Your Mother and I had from the time we were in High school to her passing-I still miss my friend.
Marlys Johnson
Oh, Darlene … so good to hear from you, and thank you for being the best friend my mom ever had. Blessings.
Janet Peterson
Loved the picture with the Chai! Also loved the message. I am on a self-induced (r)etirement, a cancer survivor myself and I love you appreciating every day.
Marlys Johnson
A self-induced retirement sounds perfect, Janet! My kids talked me into an early retirement after my husband (their father) passed away, and I can’t begin to describe what a gift that has been – to be able to write full-time, and to have children and children-in-law who believe in the beauty of my dreams. Priceless.
Congratulations on your cancer survivorship. Yay!
Carol Graham
Especially in the light of recent loss, I hold those family memories dear. Thank you for sharing — you did it beautifully.
Marlys Johnson
I’m so sorry to hear of your recent loss, Carol. Those family memories are priceless, irreplaceable, even fortifying, aren’t they. Thank you for sharing.
Kathy D Poncy
So inspirational, Marlys. You just gave me Joy through and through.
Marlys Johnson
Thank you for your kind words, Kathy.
Nancy E. Head
It’s so great to make memories with the grandkids. They will carry those with them and use them to remember the truths you’ve spoken to and over them. God bless!
Marlys Johnson
What an encouraging thought, Nancy — that the memories we make with our grandkids can be a ’tool’ of sorts for them to “remember the truths spoken to and over them.” Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Valerie Warren
Your amazing ♥️ Thanks for sharing your stories ?
Marlys Johnson
Thank you for your kind words, Valerie.
Peter
When our grand daughter Laura was in treatment for leukaemia (given 15% chance at one stage) she already had a pen pal Sophie @ Eagle Creek, Oregon (this came about following my Across USA cycle challenge, Sophie’s dad Steve’ was an ex. police officer who survived being shot 3 times in Portland and he and Linda asked me to stay at their beach cabin at Cannon Beach on the Across USA challenge & what followed was such a special friendship for our two families with visits here to UK and over there for us). With Laura in treatment, we (Barbara and I) wanted the world for Laura, so we made it possible for her to visit Sophie at Eagle Creek on several occasions, sometimes with Barbara present and me ‘off somewhere in God’s wilderness on my cycle’. So, the memories for us are the things that Laura got to do with Sophie which were quite unusual but such fun. We would watch her riding horses with Sophie and Steve’ and the visits to the Sand Duns on Buggies was something we had never seen or experienced, just pure fun, these special moments are just two. To be over in Oregon in 2016 for Sophie and Don’s wedding with Laura being invited to be a part of the proceedings and a speech from me (what an honour). Their friendship will continue long after we are gone BUT Laura and Jon get married in July this year. There have been so many miracles in Laura’s short life…. she nurses children in the same wards where she received her treatment. Now, now, put those tissues away, you’re a big girl now!!!!!. Thanks again Marlys for stirring such times. Our love, God Bless, Bx P & family.
Marlys Johnson
What a beautiful story and memory, Peter. I love how your granddaughter, Laura, is losing her life by giving it away through nursing children in the same wards where she received treatment as a child. Thank you for sharing this story with us.
Kaitlyn Sanchez
Haha, love the end! Mimicking is the best form of flattery, even if it is at your expense, right? I can feel the love, not just from your wonderful words, so eloquent, but from just that one picture, they adore you❤️
Marlys Johnson
Thank you for your kind words, Kaitlyn!