February 29 – is our Leap Year Bonus Day!
Thanks to the Facebook app “On This Day”, I get automatic reminders of what I posted each day in prior years. Yesterday there were only 2 years to “look back” on (2008 & 2012) that include February 29th, as before that there was “slim to none” social media in our lives.
My 2012 entry made me stop and pause….I was so clearly confident that one of the things that would be a “constant” never changing in our lives was our work and ministry at Jim Elliot Christian High School.
I wrote….
“since this will be her last “bonus day” with me here at the beach. (In 2016 she will be a 17 year old junior in high school and at home with Daddy on “bonus day”)”
It simply never crossed my mind that there was even the remotest possibility that Dan would not always work & minister at JECHS and that all my children would attend and graduate as an Elliot Eagle. I “knew” that we would be there until our “dying day” and that the last of our children would graduate in 2027. And yet a mere 17 months later from this confident post Dan was dismissed, Rebekah rejected and Grace a month away from beginning her freshman year, would never once be a student there.
This post on my Facebook has made me stop and think ….what things in my life do I consider absolute “givens”, unchangeable situations, rock solid relationships, jobs or financial securities or just things that will “always be this way”?
Even with so very many long term constants in my life:
- 53 years as a daughter and little sister
- 51 years as a big sister
- 36 years committed to serving Jesus as Lord
- 35 years living in Stockton, CA
- 32 years at my current church
- 31 years in ministry
- 29 years married (to the same man)
- 27 years as a Mom
- 26 years living on Robinhood Dr in the same house
- 17 years I was a Creative Memories consultant (ended in 2013)
- 16 years with JECHS (ended in 2013)
- 13 years renting the beach house (where I am currently writing from) every year for a “working” holiday and family time
I am starkly reminded today that EVERYTHING changes. You simply never know what is around the next corner or where you will be, what you will be doing and who you will be with on your “Bonus Day” in 2020! So….for those things in life you cherish and hope never change…savor the moment, appreciate the good, love and enjoy the people in your life today and….
…..if you are in a season of life struggling with how things are now (not having the job you want, relationship you desire, security you need or peace you hope for) hang on…EVERYTHING changes and your next “Bonus Day” may very well include all of those things and more!
Another thought to ponder this Leap year is just how many “Bonus Days” you have left in your lifetime. If we all live to the average life expectancy (79 years is the current number), then we will likely have 20 “Bonus Days” in our lifetime. My baby girl just had her second “Bonus Day” and I enjoyed my….gulp….fourteenth. Yes, that means if I live to be the average number of years I only have six “Bonus Days” left in my lifetime. That’ll get you motivated, focused on living purposeful and setting your priorities a right. I have decided by my next “Bonus Day” I will have written 4 books and I started towards that goal yesterday…February 29, 2016.
How many Bonus Days do you have left and what will you do with them?
PS – Instead of being home with Dad and sitting in class at JECHS as we thought she would be in 2012….here is how Grace spent her Bonus Day 2016 as a 17 year old home-schooled junior in high school…not too bad, right?
Inspire Ministries 