I found this quote as I was reading this past week. We decided to put our other blog posts on hold, because this just fit too perfectly with last week's blog post. Sometimes being in the moment is really hard, especially when there's something amazing coming your way, or when what you're going through really sucks. It can even be a little difficult if it's Thursday and you just can't wait for it to simply be Friday. We're in the process of packing up the house, cleaning like crazy, and getting ready to move. It's not easy being here right now, daydreaming about the future and anticipating its arrival!

Or there are days when our baby girl, Hadassah, is just having a rough day or going through a development change that is very trying for us as her parents. Some of the greatest advice we were given before she came into the world was to enjoy every stage. And if I had a dollar for every time someone told me to enjoy her now because it goes by so fast, then her diapers would be paid for! Yet there are times where I think to myself, "Isn't it naptime yet?" or "Can I take her over to her grandma's house yet?", or "Bedtime is only a couple hours away. Could I get away with putting her down early?". But then, all of a sudden, we're celebrating her first birthday. She takes her first steps. She's eating table food. I won't ever get to get those days back, and I wouldn't miss those moments for the world. 

Jonathan and I dated for 18 months before getting engaged (not my choice!). Once he popped the question, we only had a two month engagement. I remember those 8 weeks seemed so long! There were many times we would look at each other and ask if we could just go elope. Seriously, I don't know how other couples have long engagements. We both knew pretty early on that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with the other. But we knew that we had growing up to do, we needed to get to know each other a little better, we had money that needed to be saved, and I needed to get through a couple more semesters of school. But that time between - that was hard.

So about that caterpillar. He's going to be a beautiful butterfly one day, right? He'll soar all over the world. But is he miserable right now? No! he's dragging his fat, hairy butt up every blade of grass he can find. He's rolling around in the mud. He's climbing up the side of the house and working on his tan. He's making the most of where he is now, because there's no going back.

So here's some questions you can ask at the dinner table tonight. 

• What are you going through right now that you just cannot wait to get through? 
• Why are you having a hard time being there, really being there? 
• What is the Lord teaching you at the moment? Patience? Trust? Perseverance? Self-Control? 
• Wherever you find yourself, how can you be a positive influence in that place? How can your light shine?