Daily Guideposts 2016: 7-Day Reading PlanSample

My mother-in-law passed away two years ago. Like so many, she fought cancer. Unlike so many, she got a chance to use the lessons she learned before dying. Marie first survived breast cancer in 1983. That scare in her forties changed everything. She and her husband, Ralph, decided that retirement begins now. They were not going to wait to do the things they wanted to experience in life. They reorganized their outlook and their savings plans. They began to invest in each other, not just their bank account.

They still put money away. However, buying tickets to see Neil Diamond in concert was no longer a luxury; it was part of the budget. Ralph took glasswork classes; Marie studied watercolor. Special trips weren’t deferred for someday; they were for next month. They planned and enjoyed time with each other. They camped. They fished. They bought a cabin in the Rocky Mountains. They took a cruise through the Panama Canal. They went to Italy.

I watched my in-laws grab life; I saw the joy in their example. My husband and I try to do the same, no longer deferring big plans. Life happens now. Good stewardship of our resources does not mean that every extra penny goes to savings. Good stewardship means we invest in the people we love too. Spending our money as well as our time together enriches our lives.

Dear Father, You smile when Your children enjoy life. Help me to see every day as a blessing from You. Amen.

—Lisa Bogart

Digging Deeper: Ecclesiastes 3:22, 2 Corinthians 4:18, James 4:13–16