Sitting in her kitchen enjoying a morning cup of coffee with her husband, a four foot torrent of mud ravaged through my sister’s house knocking her husband down to the ground.

Thankfully Larry could get up and both he and my sister hurried to higher ground. This turned out to be more of a chore than it sounds because my sister, Peggy having a knee replacement 6 days prior, was forced to flee sans walking aids.

As we’ve so sadly witnessed recently that life can turn in a second, unannounced. One doctor’s diagnosis, one storm, one missed red light, one frantic phone call, or one beat of the heart.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our day-to-day living that we take our life for granted. We fall into the trap of thinking that this human condition is forever.

Our lives consist of a collage of all these precious TEMPORARY years, days, and minutes that we are on this earth – for better or worse.

Often is takes the jolt of a tragedy to look to God for meaning. We need to remind ourselves that God is with us, and speaking to us through ANY situation.

Even in the thick of turmoil, the Shared Presence of God can be felt. One phone call, one friend, one act of patience, one thoughtful gesture, one encouraging comment and one idea or one leap of faith can move us in a new direction.

So let’s share this powerful gift, both on good days and bad. Let’s share this steadfast compassionate presence. Our strength, our goodness and our willingness to continue walking at the side of our friend, can in time, become the strength and goodness of our friend.

We all have these wonderful gifts to give. What a sadness it would be if we failed to give them.

“Life is temporary, but Love is eternal.” – Bomi Jolly

Remember that everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.