Christian Latina Leadership Blog

By Nora O. Lozano 

Para leer la versión en español haga clic aquí 

As I kept reflecting on the beginning of a New Year and the opportunities that are ahead of us for the next 11 months, I learned about the recent plane crash that happened close to the Washington D.C. Reagan Airport where 67 people were killed. This plane crash inevitably reminded me about another air crash that also happened in January, but 5 years ago. In this other accident, the basketball player Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven other persons were killed. These nine people were traveling in California, by helicopter, to a basketball game. Suddenly they had an accident, and all of them passed away.

Every time that something like this happens, my social media gets inundated with messages of surprise, as well as messages regarding the fragility of life, and how we need to center ourselves in the important things that matter the most. When something like this happens, many people think about the need of expressing our love to those who are important to us, as well as the importance of seizing the moment. Why? Life is fragile. We do not know if we will have another opportunity to hug and kiss a loved one. We do not have a guarantee that we will be here on this earth tomorrow, nor that the people whom we love will be with us tomorrow.

One of the verses that I hear often in these situations is Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to count our days, so that we may gain a wise heart.” The message is very clear: take advantage of the opportunity that you have right now because tomorrow is not guaranteed. Be wise with the time that you have on this earth, because you do not know when it is going to end.

This message can be applied to all areas of life. I think that easily we can mediate on this text and add: Teach us to count our days (and opportunities and blessings), so that we may gain a wise heart. Today, I want to invite you to think about all this in the context of the CLLI community.

What are the things that you/we have right now at CLLI? What are the opportunities that we should value here at CLLI? Opportunities that we should not take for granted because they are not guaranteed in the future.

First of all, consider the opportunity to be involved in an educational setting, whether as a CLLI student, faculty, or coordinator. We cannot take that for granted. Do you know how many people around the world would love to be learning in a classroom? However, they cannot because maybe their country is experiencing war or a natural disaster, or they have to work many hours to support their family, or they have to spend their days finding food, water, or shelter just to survive.

As a CLLI student, you are studying and learning because people are investing in you. Most likely a generous CLLI donor is giving so that you can have a scholarship and study in your particular site. We cannot take that financial support for granted. So, take advantage of the opportunity that you have right now.

Maybe right now you have the support of your spouse, children, parents, or other family members. Do not take that for granted. We do not know for how long we will have them with us.

This is the time that God has given you, take advantage of it right now. Seize the moment to nurture your relationship with God, to obtain knowledge in your physical or virtual classroom, to learn through your assignments and experiences with your CLLI group, and to nurture your relationship with your CLLI sisters. Seize the opportunity, use it in the best way. Make the best of the time and opportunity that you have right now.

God has given us many gifts, and God expects that we will be like the “good and faithful servant” in the parable of the Talents in Matthew 25. God expects that we will use these gifts in the right way so that they may be multiplied for God’s purpose and glory.

While the tragedies of these people who died in these plane and helicopter crashes are extreme cases, and hopefully this will not happen to us, the Bible always challenges us to be good stewards of the ordinary and extraordinary gifts that we have received, the big things and the small things.

So, pay attention, look around you, appreciate what you have, be thankful for it, and use it in the best way. In the case of CLLI students and students in general, I invite you to realize that getting an education is a gift. It is a privilege. Do not take it for granted. Thus, I invite you to be a good steward of the opportunity that you have received. It may never come back.

And the same applies to all the rest of the readers who are not students, regardless of the stage of life where we are in, we should also pray: Teach us to count our days (and opportunities and blessings), so that we may gain a wise heart.

A New Year lies ahead of us. Let’s ask God for a wise heart that is full of gratitude and ready to seize the moment!