A Poetic Story and Challenge of This Thing Called Life
Written by Bethany Curee, God’s Daughter – Freckled & Free

The cry of new life.
The toddle of the toddler.
Eyes in wonder at the buds of spring.
In childhood time seems endless.
A world of curiosity and wondrous imaginations.

Sticky fingers and muddy jeans quickly turn to shaving cut knees as womanhood creeps into adolescence. Learning to fix your hair, straighten your skirt and be a lady takes time and comes through keen observation. One day you turn the page and she’s suddenly arrived.

She doesn’t notice that she came but the mirror tells her otherwise. Her creative dreams are pressing and her passion for the true King stirs. Nightly she prays on her knees seeking her heavenly Father. Her heart longs for love, to be noticed and found by the one God has made for her.

Her prayers as sweet incense before the throne arrive. He hears His daughter and whispers peace — in time my child. Giggles, tears, butterflies, wonder and dreams — that truly seems to be the sum of your teens.

As heartache breaks her heart and love is lost, she commits to pursuing Jesus first and foremost until a husband worthy pursuer comes.

And while no one was looking, when her search had stopped. He found her. He pursued her as a gentleman would. Proper dancing space. Always asking permission. Respectful to her Father and the one boy her daddy gave the green light to. There was something on the horizon.

The day he held her hand, it’s as if the world stopped. His hand felt different than any other hand. It felt safe, it felt sure. Perhaps truly their love began that day. All time stood still. It was true, the King had sent him.

The artist who knit them both in their mother’s womb must have admired from Heaven what He already knew would transpire. The gift of true love. The gift of companionship. The gift of man not being alone. A helpmate. The plan He had all along where love and life can flourish. The gift of marriage.

Flowers and nervous laughter, a public kiss. Two virgins made a covenant to become one.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mark 10:7-9

And what joy can be found in marriage. In the unity God created it to be. When God’s perfect design in the creation of man and woman become one. Love rages. What a glorious gift the creator would give. Its taste you can never get enough of. Time wishes to hold to this moment forever. There is much to be learned in all aspects during this time. Adjusting to each other’s differences, finding unity in forgiveness and agreement.

And from this love, destined by God. New life is formed. Sacrifices begin. Sacrifices of one’s physical being, rest and learning to serve one another. To be a team. Learning how to dream together and press onward. The testing, the trials. The deliveries of not one, but two, three and four precious children. The holding of hands, wiping of tears, love in the night, learning new things. Walking through hardships, nightmares and seasons. Learning to apply, apply, and apply the Word. From shaky legs to strong. From sickness to health. To encouraging, encouraging…and pushing back the enemy together. Learning to listen. To truly hear. And to seal it all with love.

Through seasons of glory and beauty. To seasons of ashes and pain. When our hearts have been grieved beyond imagination. Through losses and wins. Heartache and misunderstandings. Oh, the battles and the fights. To learning to comfort, to hold the aches away and strengthen the other again. To cheer each other on – you got this!

To completing projects together, succeeding together and sneaking up to check the other out and enjoy what God has made in the beauty of man.

That’s where we are at in this thing called life. We’re right in the middle of it. A whirlwind all around us. Grasping to hold on to all that is near, to savor each moment, to notice every little face our children make. We haven’t arrived. And the learning hasn’t stopped. But what we see is this pressing of time.

You see this reel of life gives you phases and seasons. As an itty-bitty, life is filled with play, and sweet kisses and hugs for mommy and daddy. As a teen you collide in a world of emotions as if spinning in space. The search for sure footing and discoveries of who you are. As a young wife you fluctuate between joy of this new freedom and trying to fill the new-found roles. As a mother you have overwhelming love, to-dos, chores and demands that you scrapple to find your own self again amongst the heaping piles of tasks and baby snuggles.

From a little girl, to a woman, to a mother. From a little boy riding in his father’s lap on the tractor to a man and a father himself. Together, my husband and I, we see.

We see that time is pressing. Life slips through the cracks, it disappears as a vapor. It’s full speed ahead and it doesn’t wait for anyone. Through our eyes we have observed life and death all around us. The mission you thought doesn’t always happen, the helpmate for some in this life isn’t always there as long as we thought they would be. Death is sure and death is certain as we’re in this earthly vessel. We know we won’t live forever here on Earth — but oh, for eternity in heaven — to be able to embrace our loved ones again, and to be able to meet our Savior face to face.

There is something about loss that brings reality back. It reminds you of the precious gifts you have been given. Like a flashback of all life’s moments it forces you to continuously flip to remember, to dwell in a memory and cherish that. It challenges you to truly live in the now and to not miss a second of it. To consider what is worthy of fighting over and what isn’t. And what truly matters is choosing wisely everyday to walk this race out pouring into others what God has put into you and what He has told you to do and share. Spread His seeds. This fight is real and it’s going way to fast. Will you capture it while there is yet time?  

What’s strange about it all is while some fight tooth and nail for their life others are willingly throwing it away. Such a tragedy it seems. Life is beautiful, glorious and something to be adored. It is precious and valuable. It’s also twisty, tangled and leaves you in need of the dear Savior, Jesus.

And we know this “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 

“Then He said to His disciples, “The Harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;” Matthew 9:37

What then will you do with this pressing of time? The warning has been issued. Will you seize the day while it is yet to be seized? Will you be one of the laborers working in the Harvest?

Jesus let our focus be on the Kingdom. Whether our helpmate is still with us or whether they have already arrived in Glory, God let us recognize that the mission is still the same. Lord you warned us not to store up earthly treasures here because it’s not our forever home. Quicken our spirits Lord daily to be ready to walk where you walk. To move where you move and to accomplish what you have for us here while we are here. Help us to remember life is fleeting. That life must be chosen wisely. That we are in a season to savor, to grab ahold of the now. To push ourselves out of our comfort zone. To be bold, bold, bold — for the calling you have called us too. To have our ear pressed towards your voice. In Jesus name Amen.

Like beautiful wild horses run towards their destination, we must also run with our eyes set like flint on the kingdom task ahead.  And Lord, while the pressing of time is pressing, may we be found doing in obedience what you have called us to do. Let us be found ready.

Written by Bethany Curee, God’s Daughter – Freckled & Free