I never thought I would say those words, but it’s true. I picked Caleb up from school today and surprised him with a trip to the movie theatre to see Hannah Montana: The Movie.
My excitement wasn’t in the fact that I was going to sit through this movie, but in the fact that I could enjoy Caleb’s smile as he did.
We got our tickets, our popcorn, and his Blueberry slush. As Caleb opened the door and walked into the theatre, a huge smile crossed his face. The place was empty. He thought I had rented the place out for just the two of us – it was the perfect date. I smiled as big as I could wishing I could take the credit. I let him know I couldn’t take the credit, but perhaps God was helping out in making it our special “date”.
We snuggled into the middle row and munched on our popcorn. As he slurped and fixed his eyes on the screen, I couldn’t help but fix my eyes on him. It dawned on me that Hannah Montana was the last movie we would watch together for a long time. I closed my eyes and prayed over him.
In the movie, Miley, Hanna’s alter ego, gets caught up in the lifestyle of fame. Her family and friends get put on the back burner as she glams it up with high heels and lipstick. She gets tricked into going back to her roots for two weeks by her dad. His plan is to bring her back to who she really is.
Of course there was a happy ending. Miley finds who she is again. She finds wisdom. She falls in love with a boy. They live happily ever after-I assume.
As I watched the transformation in Hannah herself and snuggled close to Caleb I evaluated my own life. It’s so easy to get caught up in the things of this world. I find myself doing it much too often.
Reality set in this evening that my days with Caleb are numbered. He is leaving on Saturday. Spongebob on Saturday’s won’t be the same. Subway won’t be near as fresh without him. Who will I rival against on the Xbox?
For eight years my life has been absorbed with this blessing from God. In three days he will be thousands of miles away. He has reminded me that it’s the small things in life that matter the most.
When I go to bed at night and think about tomorrow, it’s not the dream job that will matter. It’s not going to be about the next car I want to buy. The most important things that fill my mind, and that will fill my mind years later when this crazy life is still passing by, are memories with the ones I love. I’ll remember tucking him in, reading him the Bible, and laughing at absolutely nothing.
I recently had the privilege of helping a dear friend. As she lay in the hospital I realized that the busyness of this world still exists. The day wasn’t about the news, it wasn’t about Facebook, and it wasn’t about the lunch special. For me it was learning about the Relationship Principles of Jesus. I was caught up in what true friendship is really all about. That’s a memory that will surpass any exciting career move I could ever make. That’s a memory that will replace any “dream come true”.
What if we are so engulfed in the world that we miss these opportunities? What if we allow the next email on our Blackberry to keep us from having an intimate conversation with someone that we love? What if we worry so much about ourselves that we miss the chance to uplift someone else? What if we continue to say what if? Here’s an idea: How about we stop!
Let’s make life happen. Let’s stop taking these “little things” for granted and make them the “big things”. I don’t want to be 50 years old, looking back on my life and wondering why my cup is still half empty. I don’t want my life to be an “if only” life.
I have a picture on my wall from a friend that I received when my father passed away. It reads: “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.” What else needs to be said?
Perhaps I’ll close with some wise words from Hannah Montana herself. “Life is a climb, but the view is great!”