Have you ever had a toothache or some other great physical
pain?

At the moment, it feels like the most excruciating thing ever,
with no end in sight!

But eventually the pain subsides, and the memory of that pain
fades into oblivion.

The Bible says our life is but a vapor, here today and gone
tomorrow.
In short, life goes by so fast!

Taking advantage of the time we have, redeeming that time,
making the most of it, is so very important.

Recently, I was at an event where I was surrounded by amazing
friends & awesome food. It was a birthday party for the ages! After
getting home from the party, I told my wife, ―This is the kind of
party you wish you could just do all over again - the type of party
that doesn’t happen very often!‖

There will come a time when all we will have left is what we have
given away, what we have purposefully sowed into the people
around us.

The older I get, the more I have come to realize how much
relationships matter. People matter!

God designed it that way! We weren’t created to be alone or
isolated. We were designed to interact with one another, to connect,
to reach out, to be givers, to be like God!

It’s in this place of intimacy with the Lord where we can truly
flourish and shine bright!

Listen, toothaches are horrible, but the pain will fade. Birthday
parties are great, but they, too, end.

However, relationships can last a lifetime and the things we do
and say within those relationships can have an eternal impact!

Be thankful for the friends you have! The people in your life that
love you and truly care for you!

It can be so easy and tempting to focus only on what you don’t
have and miss all the wonderful blessings you do!

Be encouraged today. Birthday parties and toothaches produce
very different results, but both are just temporary. But the things we
do with and for the Lord, for others, will last for eternity!