MOMMENT vs MOST
* WARNING *
DO NOT READ AHEADThis is an interactive post. To gain the MOST from this post be in the MOMMENT! Reply using the quote button in the lower right. DO NOT read ahead answer the questions as you read them. By doing this you will hopefully learn something pretty cool.
DO NOT READ AHEAD!
* WARNING *
DO NOT READ AHEADThis is an interactive post. To gain the MOST from this post be in the MOMMENT! Reply using the quote button in the lower right. DO NOT read ahead answer the questions as you read them. By doing this you will hopefully learn something pretty cool.
DO NOT READ AHEAD!
Often we find ourselves in situations where in that MOMMENT a single decision can take away all that matters MOST. When we are younger this isn't fair, okay I don't really think it is ever fair. But hey as those tall people who raised me when I was little used to say, "Buckets girl, life isn't fair!"
Here is my goal in creating this exercise. To give anyone willing to take the time to read this an ADVANTAGE IN LIFE. What I am talking about is not a secret it's something we learn by experience and then use as PERSPECTIVE. Here is the catch today we are going to gain experience without the failures that often go along with it. It's FREE PERSPECTIVE!
First we will look at what to us matters MOST!
please answer the following questions before moving on... :
[*=left]List the five things that are MOST important to you (my example is below) you can be specific here or general. I do them in order of importance but it's your call.
1. God
2. Family
3. Grades
4. Music
5. Future
2. Family
3. Grades
4. Music
5. Future
[*=left]Now for each one list a personal goal. I've again included mine to assist.
2. Be a better daughter
3. Keep them A's so I can get into college!
4. Improve as a musician and grow my music library
5. Spread the joy and love of Christ and have a Godly family
Now that we have established what matters MOST to us we are going to look at a few examples of life in a single MOMMENT. These are real life expeireinces of people I've met. All the names have been changed and all the people have given permission for their stories to be here. These are not all happy stories, so if you are quite fragile maybe you shouldn't read on. For the brave and bold here we go. Oh, and there are questions that follow you aren't finished interacting!
Lauren was a strait A student and starting basketball player in High School. She had just started her senior year and was pretty happy with life. Being named captain of her team was a huge accomplishment of a goal she had set after her sophomore season. She was hoping this year maybe she could lead her team to a State Championship. After all they had finished as runners up the previous season.
Lauren was athletically built from years of hard work and focus. She also had a few college scouts talk to her over the summer during a club basketball tournament. Her life was right on track, she had a great group of friends and awesome supportive parents.
One day after practice Lauren walks out into the parking lot. A guy friend she knows pulls up and asks her if she wants to grab something to eat. She kinda has a crush on the guy and is pretty happy he is giving her attention. She gets in and they zoom out of the parking lot headed to the towns most popular burger joint. After burgers and shakes, they drive out to a place where an old dirt road over looks the river.
The boy crush pulls out a bottle of cheap sweet wine. Lauren's gut tells her this isn't a good idea but sitting on the tailgate with this boy she has pretty much decided she likes, temptation and peer pressure win out and she sips from the bottle which the boy takes big swigs from. When the bottle is finished and tossed in a ravine Lauren for a moment thinks maybe she should drive. After all it's dark now and she barely even drank any of the wine from the bottle which basically the boy emptied. Fear of him not liking her and a slight worry of getting in trouble if pulled over leads to her climbing in the passenger seat.
They take off flying down the curved dirt road that follows the canyon, with the river now far bellow. Several times she is nervous and thinks about asking the boy crush to slow down. Yet the music is cool, he is cool and well she doesn't want to be that naggy type of girl.
As they round a curve way to fast the truck bounces in ruts and grooves in the road. She knows immediately they will go over the edge of the canyon and she is correct. The truck roles several times before coming to a mangled rest some sixty feet bellow.
Several days later I am standing far behind a group of people on a somber day listening to my father speak about this amazing girl. Who she was and how she will be missed. My father is doing his duty as a minister of God. Lauren's parents are crying, I'm quite young and until this MOMMENT only knew Lauren as the girl who was always in the local paper for basketball accomplishments.
The story I shared is based upon the incident. I don't know Lauren's exact thoughts from that day. I do know from talking to her little sister (a classmate) what Lauren was like and some of her goals. I also know what was lost that day when in a MOMMENT Lauren made choices that compromised what matters most.
Please know Lauren's sister likes this being shared, if it helps one person it is as if Lauren is still making people smile. Also she did things people do everyday without much consequence and sadly that day the world lost a beautiful person.
[*=left]What do you think Lauren could have done differently?
[*=left]Does it seem she was living in the MOMMENT and not thinking about what matters MOST?
[*=left]What does it sound like mattered MOST to Lauren?
[*=left]If ever in a similar situation how would you handle it and what would you think about?
Becky met Billy her sophomore year in college. Billy was that boy, you know the one who was charming in every way. Had a smile that could melt a heart, big brown eyes and a personality that overshadowed his looks.
Than began a relationship about two weeks after first meeting. Becky knew after their first date that Billy was the man for her. He had left clues all over campus as to where to find him. One clue leading to another clue and finally to a table where he waited with flowers and that smile of his for Becky. Everything was like this with Billy. If a simple dinner was the norm Billy was three courses.
Two years later Becky is married to Billy in a small church house. Close your eyes and picture that cute country wedding with all the smiles. Yep, it really was just like that. Before there first child is born, the Japaneese military bomb Pearl Harbor. Billy being the all American boy he is immediately inlists in Uncle Sams Army.
In basic traing Billy meets a young man named Abraham. They become best friends and tell each other about their lives back home. Billy reads every letter that Becky sends to Abe and when they end up deployed to France, Billy shares the pictures of his baby girls first birthday that he would have loved to be at with his buddy and friend.
Some of the other men joke about the two having been twins separated at birth. Having college educations in medical fields the two men work side by side tending to the wounded. On a frozen January morning they are sent with a group towards the battle front. They soon are surrounded by wounded soldiers from both the Allied and German forces. Both Abe and Billy never bat an eye grabbing stretcher and running forward taking back the most severally injured first one by one to the make shift medical tents.
Out of nowhere a shot rings out. Without a momments hesitation Billy is diving on his best friend Abraham. Abe knows emidiatly that his life has been saved.
On a warm autumn day many years later Abraham sits on a front porch. A tall slender dark haired girl pushes his own daughter on a swing in the front yard. Becky carries out lemonade as the two girls run towards the porch. As the taller girl climbs the steps Abraham looking in her beautiful brown eyes is reminded his best friend who so many years ago layed dying in his arms. Mostly he remembers the smile Billy had after sacrificing his own life to stop a bullet that would have surely hit Abraham.
My grandmother is helped up the stairs by her older sister with the beautiful brown eyes and worlds most charming smile.
[*=left]What do you think mattered MOST to Billy?
[*=left]in the MOMMENT does it seem Billy was focussed on what mattered MOST?
[*=left]How did Abraham honor what mattered MOST to Billy?
[*=left]does this story make you think it is possible to live in the MOMMENT focused on what matters MOST?
My hope is in sharing two stories which illustrate a MOMMENTS decision, it is clearly seen that the choices we make affect what matters MOST. The point of the second exercise, the one where we listed our goals was to help us in a MOMMENT. When something doesn't feel right like in Lauren's story or when you make choices in general quickly ask does this help me obtain or hold onto what matters MOST. The second story illustrates that sometimes doing what we feel is without a doubt the right thing may compromise what matters Most. In this case Billy never held his little girl or Becky again. However Abraham loved and raised his daughter as his own and told her lots of stories about Billy. Also he married Becky and they had my grandmother. So to me if as Great Grandpa Abe said all Billy cared about was his wife and daughter is true. In his sacrifice his love for them was not lost. Also I think Billy, Becky and Abe all did their best to honor God. Which I personally know was what mattered MOST to them.
Next time you are in a MOMMENT no matter how small it seems think quickly about what matters MOST. I have a few more stories about this and another exercise if this is a good idea and received well.
Also please take a MOMMENT to share your own MOMMENT vs MOST story and lesson.