The picture above was taken on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  The date?  September 16, 1989.  I was ten years old and the time had come, so my parents thought, to introduce me to the basic rite of every child born in the state of Georgia…Bulldog football between the hedges.  There is absolutely nothing in all the world that substantiates college football season in the south like the cool breeze that blows through the hills of that beautiful campus in Athens.  I was completely mesmerized.  I remember vividly the sound of the famed Redcoats as we took in their pre-game rehearsal on the tennis courts.  And then the Dogs took the field.  I was overwhelmed as I studied relentlessly so that I could impersonate those players who seemed to stand ten feet tall on my own football field at home.  Nothing had ever captured my attention and my heart like the sights and sounds I took in that day.

That all seems like a million years ago now.  I’m now thirty-three years old and I’ve just finished packing my bag to take in another Bulldog contest between the hedges on the same campus in the same city this weekend.  But somehow things will be vastly different this Saturday.  I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to enjoy the day with my beautiful wife and sister-in-law.  But when the curtain is lifted and the Dogs take the field, I’ll think of my Mom and Dad.  I can almost guarantee that I’ll speak with my dad just before kickoff.  At that moment, I’ll consider myself a fortunate man to have been blessed with such great parents.  I’ll forever be thankful for the time that I’ve had with them both.

Unfortunately, in today’s society, too many people are distracted from the simple things in life.  They focus their thoughts on what is wrong with their lives instead of what is right.  They zero in on their problems instead of thanking God for their blessings.  That is a shame.

Since August 8, 2010, I’ve lived a very different life.  I must confess that, before that date, I took way too many people and situations for granted.  That one single day changed everything.  Since losing my mom, I’ve come to understand that life is much too short to sweat the small stuff.  As a young man, I now see other guys my age allow the opinions of their mom and dad to push them to frustration rather than realize that, despite what some believe, most moms and dads just love us and want the best for who they will always consider to be “their babies”.

I’ve come to understand that old cliches have more meaning than most people would like to admit.  You really don’t know what you have until it’s gone.  God has shown me over the last couple of years how important it is to stop and smell the roses.  They fade way too quickly.  The opportunity to enjoy the beauty that God allows to grow on our path must be seized before the winter mercilessly fades those petals into nothing.

Some would view my thoughts as depressing, maybe even hopeless.  But, contrary to that line of thinking, I hope it challenges every reader to step back from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and learn to appreciate the things that we all expect to be there when we wake up and when we lie down.  What’s important in this world is not how much money you make, how many hours you spend in overtime, what others think of you or what accomplishments you acheive.  The most important things in life are fulfilling the plan of God for our lives, serving our spouses as the spouse God has called each of us to be, raising our kids with love and affirmation according to the Word of God and one day reaching the end of our journey, knowing that we’ve done the best that we can possibly do.

I once had a wise Pastor share with me that it’s important to “enjoy wherever you are in life because you may never pass this way again”.  So true!

The picture above brings back great memories for me.  I can’t think of any happier moment than the moment captured in that photo.  As a die-hard Georgia fan, even today, there is no sound quite like the Redcoats.  I’m convinced that the two greatest hot dogs on earth can be purchased at Turner Field and Sanford Stadium (I’m pretty sure it has more to do with atmosphere than food quality).  The Dogs won that day.  They beat Baylor 15-3.  But more than the Redcoats, the refreshments and the win, what meant most that day was the company.

Whatever your differences are with family and friends, I hope that you’ll believe me when I tell you that it doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t matter when you can’t call someone anymore.  It doesn’t matter when you can’t take a family member or a friend to lunch anymore.  It doesn’t matter when your Christmas list is shortened one by one.  It’s time to put differences aside and love each other in action the way that we love each other in word.  When all is said and done, our petty arguments just don’t matter.

In just a matter of hours, we’ll enjoy kickoff in Athens.  But I’ll be thinking of that first experience.  I encourage you, no matter where you’re at this weekend, enjoy the view.  One day a picture may be all you have.