Carpe Diem. Seize the day.
In the movie Dead Poets Society, there is a memorable scene where a teacher shows his students old photographs of former students. Young faces. Full of dreams. Full of plans. And now, gone. His message is simple: life moves quickly. Time is precious.
For a long time, “Seize the day” became my mantra. I tried
to make the most of every moment. But recently, while meditating on
Ecclesiastes, I noticed something deeper. Scripture invites us not so much to seize
life, but to receive it with joy.
“This is the day the Lord acted; let us rejoice and celebrate in it!” (Psalm 118:24, CEB)
Ecclesiastes reminds us that life is uncontrollable. Nothing
is ever enough. Everything passes. Trying to grasp and control life only leaves
us tired.
An ancient Chinese poem tells of travelers who once found a hidden valley—peaceful, beautiful, perfect. They went home to bring their families back, but when they returned, the place was gone. The hills were different. The river had vanished. The moment could not be repeated. It was a gift in time, not something to possess (Wang Wei, cited in Jamieson, Everything Is Never Enough, p. 78).
Life is like that. A gift. Not something we own, but something we receive. So we rejoice. We celebrate. We give thanks.
This week, my family experienced this truth. Our plans changed when Joyce became sick, and we had to cancel gatherings we looked forward to. Yet it became a quiet blessing. We slowed down. We watched the sunrise together. We played games together. We prayed together. It became our best family retreat.
Life is uncontrollable. Everything is never enough under the sun. And still, we choose to rejoice and celebrate. Why? Because this is the day the Lord has made. And why again? Because Jesus is still in charge. Jesus is enough – enough for today, enough for our souls, enough forever.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Christ, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
I am grateful we begin this year’s journey together.
Happy New Year!
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