Consider this.....

     Do you ever stop and think about how precious the present is?  It is 8:56 PM on 5/2/2012. That minute that just went by is the the only one like it I will ever get. I have heard the phrase "intentional living" many times but I believe that making that a reality is the secret to happiness. Living every minute intentionally, with purpose, has to be the most fulfilling concept I can think of.
     As I was writing this I noticed the date. 3 years ago yesterday I experienced one of the most pivotal moments of my entire life. Allow me to share it with you as much as I can. I have to leave out names and specific locations so that I don't violate any HIPPA laws, but this is fitting considering what I was writing about.
     May 1st, 2009, at around 4:00 PM, I was working on the ambulance, getting ready to take lunch. A pediatric seizure call went out at a nearby school. We lit up and began driving towards the school. Half way there the call nature changed to a cardiac arrest. I was still fairly new and had ran several cardiac arrest calls but not a pediatric patient.
     I can recall the the remainder of this call just like it happened yesterday. We rounded the last few corners before reaching the school, and posted at each turn, was a school staff member waving frantically and pointing us in the direction of the scene.
     No amount of training could have prepared me for what I was about to encounter. There on the playground, was a dead 6 year old child. A bystander was giving mouth to mouth and we stepped in and did what we could. Then we loaded up and drove to the nearest hospital. The mother showed up at the hospital at the same time and we layed the child on the hospital bed and the ER staff began working and asking questions to an obviously shell shocked mother. She stared at the floor and answered the questions in a trance like state.  Despite everyone's best efforts there was nothing anyone could do.
      I walked back to the ambulance and attempted to put it back together but I just couldn't seem to gather myself. I was numb. Another crew was at the hospital and they took over and restored the ambulance to it's previous state.
     My wife called shortly thereafter and she could tell that I wasn't OK. When she asked me what was wrong, I lost it. I sobbed like a child as I tried to explain what had happened. She said she was actually on her way to the hospital to see her grandmother who was undergoing surgery. When she arrived and I seen my girls, I lost it all over again. I held them so tightly, as if they could just float away, which in essence, they could.
     My partner and I attended the memorial service that the school held in the child's honor. It was different than any memorial service I had ever attended because the family were all believers. There were tears and fond memories like most services, but there was an unmistakable feeling of hope and joy in the knowing that one day there would be a reunion and that the child was with Jesus. There was no cause of death but one of the family members said that there just isn't a box on the sheet to check, stating that Jesus called them home. I left both saddened and encouraged.
     I can still remember the date, the child's entire name, the exact address of the call, and the unit number that I was in that day. I imagine I will never forget.
     I cannot answer why this happened. No explanation I could offer would ever salve a wound like that so it's better not to try. I am confident that there is purpose in this. My eyes were opened to many things that I took for granted up to that point. My children have always been important to me but after that day I realized how fragile my time with them really is. The scene of the incident has become a sacred place for me. I have returned to it several times over the past few years to pray and remind myself of how important my loved ones are. I meet with some guys weekly and we began our group by praying together at this spot.
     So before you go to bed, walk into your children's room and thank God for them. When you wake up, thank God for one more day with those you care the most about. Time is short. Don't let it slip away. Good night all.