How did you spend your day? Your week? Last month? This weekend Debbie and I are in Lafayette Louisiana. We didn’t come here to
visit the swamps (although we did see a great swap), or the alligators (we have seen three), or enjoy special Louisiana cuisine (we are however enjoying the most wonderful local food). We have traveled here to see friends that we first met 14 years ago in Baumholder, Germany. We first met these folks when they were newly married, in their 20s, new to the Army, and new to Germany.
Now they are in their 30s, out of the Army, and have seven kids between the two families. One couple traveled from Texas to join us, and one couple lives here in Lafayette, and they are showing us this unique land that they have chosen to call home. Being here, with good friends, is reminding me how I want to spend my days.
Soon after becoming a follower of Christ, I decided I wanted to spend my life living for others and not myself. Of course, when I made the decision, I had no idea what that would mean or how I would do it. Since making that commitment it is something I have not done well, it is harder than I thought it would be. I am aware of how selfish I can be and how often I make decision based on what I want to do and not to meet the needs of others. However, some of the big decisions I have made have been because I really wanted to help others. We joined Cadence in 1982 because we hoped that it would give us the opportunity to help young people who were in the military and far from home.
Since joining Cadence, it seldom feels like we are doing much to help others. Most of the time it feels like I am driving somewhere, fixing something that is broken, paying bills, or teaching a Bible study which isn’t very helpful to those who come. And yet as our friends share their memories of what it was like for them when we first met 14 years ago, I have been helpful to them.
In preparation for this trip, I reviewed thousands of photos I that I took between 2008 and 2013 when we were in Baumholder. I am reminded that we went through a lot with the soldiers and their families during that time. We endured two difficult deployments, the birth of their first children, and the everyday difficulties of Army life in a forging country. In most of the photographs we are not doing anything very special. We are just together sharing meals, taking trips, and having Bible studies. We are not in touch with many of the soldiers we knew. There were so many people in our home it would be impossible to stay in touch with all of them.
Yet being here this weekend, sharing memories, reminds me that how we spend our days is how we spend our lives. We never did much, 
but our desire was too be helpful. I still want to spend my life this way. I want to spend it that way this weekend as we hang out with our friends, I want to be help. I want to help Airmen at FE Warren make good decision and encourage them when things are hard. As I think about the school year, which is about to start, I want to be helpful to the high school students that I meet in my classes. I want to spend my days thinking about and helping others.
I pray that today you would take a few moments and think about how you are spending your days because how you spend your days, of course, is how you spend your life.
