Urgent vs. Important

I little while ago, a visiting minister at our church gave a sermon about putting the things that are important in our life aside for things that are urgent. Often times in our busy lives, we tend to put the things that are most important on the back burner so we can deal with the things that are “urgent”. Each day there is something pressing that “needs” to be done and I suppose it will always be that way. I feel like I am most guilty of this. For a while now, there has been this nagging voice in the back of my head repeating these words. “Is this important? Why am I doing this?”  The end of the year is always a time for reflection and with the tragedy at Sandy Hook, I seem to be particularly reflective. Those children were Fletcher’s age. Each day that I look at his sweet face and hug and kiss him, I can’t help but think about that. Today I am headed to the school to spend time in a first grade class room with 19 kids making gingerbread houses. Even though it is a moment I will cherish with Fletcher,  I cannot help but ache for the parents of the 20 children that won’t get to enjoy a similar experience. It is overwhelmingly sad. 

I know that this tragedy has made me more aware of the unpredictability of life and the fleeting moments that we all have and I am determined to put the things that are important in my life ahead of the urgent.