Patheos

BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Patheos

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Churched

A Week of Lasts

Last updated on: May 21, 2018 at 11:02 am   by Matt Pearson

A Week of Lasts 2018-05-18T11:07:46-05:00 Matt Pearson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I can no longer say I am married to a 30 something. Katie turned 40 on Sunday. Last time either of us are in our 30’s.

I can no longer say I have two children in elementary school. Seth “graduated” from 5th grade on Friday. Last time to have either boy in elementary school.

I can no longer say I am not (yet) a parent of a teenager. Luke turned 13 on Friday. Last time to parent pre-teens. This also means it is the last time I have the nicest phone in the family (Happy Birthday, son).

I can no longer say I get to take my kids to school every morning. Birti and Seth will go to a new school next year. Last time to drive them to school.

That’s life, isn’t it?

That’s pretty much the way it goes. You wake up in the morning. You go to bed at night. Before you know it, without even considering it really, you turn around and there is a new season. You can’t go back and relive the previous season. It’s gone.

But again, that’s life. Seasons. Weeks of lasts.

Soon it will be the last day I have any child in elementary school.

Then it will be the last day not to have a high school graduate.

Katie and I will have last days to be in our 40’s.

There will be a last day to only have two cars. A last day I don’t pick up one of our kids from practice. A last day to get them from school to a friend’s house. A last day to not worry about them behind a wheel.

A last day they live under our roof.

A last day not to be called grandparents.

A last day for my kids to have grandparents.

I, like you, can choose to get sentimental and wonder “where the time went.” I can get stressed because of so many birthdays and Mother’s day and graduation gifts I need to purchase. Or, I can be glad that I have people in my life to do this with. I can thank God for the last season and ask Him for help to be present in the next.

Jesus knew about lasts. There was the last day with the Father and Spirit before coming to Bethlehem. There was the last day He was “incognito,” before He went into public ministry. There was a last day a blind man would be blind. There was a last day when Peter believed it was impossible to walk on water. There was the last day Jesus would be alive as the “unResurrected” Jesus. There was the last day He was dead. There was a last day sin had the upper hand.

But I never get the feeling He had any regrets. He was (and is!) always present, enjoying the moment in front of Him.

As I said, that’s life. Seasons. Weeks of lasts.

Lean into them. Thank the Father for the last one. Draw near to the One who knows about seasons as well as what is coming. Join Him in what He’s doing next.

If you think about it, today really is the last today. Don’t waste it.

General Challenge

Previous Post



May 18, 2018

Sermon Illustration: That's Not Good!

Next Post



May 22, 2018 Gospel at Arm's Length


Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Biblical Reflections Devotions Fridays are For Illustrations General Challenge General Preaching Resources Letters to West Franklin Preparing to Preach Table Talk Questions The Preaching Event Top Ten Quotes Uncategorized West Franklin West Franklin Talks

Select a Month March 2023 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 September 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017


Follow Us!

Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter



TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many books are in the major prophets section of the Old Testament?

Select your answer to see how you score.

7 4 5 3

Related posts from Churched

Evangelical

Never Having to Apologize

Churched

Evangelical

Second Dates, Library Fines, and Doing Good

Churched

Evangelical

Grace for Juwan

Churched

Evangelical

Present - A Plea to Parents

Churched

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Evangelical

How the author of the world's best hymn...

I've been working with John Newton for a while now. This makes...

Psalm 130 | Lectio Divina

Long before this Lectio Divina, Psalm 130 - the song - started...

What About the Trees? Another Living Parable

After I finished writing the last article about falling leaves as a...

Why Classical Education Is a Conversation, Not a...

Come and Read: Joy in Classical Education When I was a little...

Falling Leaves: A Living Parable on Letting Go

I’ve spent the vast majority of my life in the southeast corner...

What Happened at Cornell?

Cornell University has received a great deal of negative publicity and intense...

view all Evangelical blogs

Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube