Gift Card

Back in October, my mother-in-law got me a $100 gift card to a local restaurant… and I wasn’t even required to take her! My wife and I have remarked a few times in the last weeks about using the card for a night out. It seems you get busy with other activities, and we just never got around to it. No problem, gift cards last a long time.

New Year’s Day Facebook post from the restaurant announcing they are shuttering their doors immediately…this is the end of a 20 year run in Northwest Arkansas. Never saw that comin’. If you’re a gift card holder, and you purchased it recently, we’ll do our best to reimburse you. Ummm…don’t think there’s any chance of that happening! So, my wife and I looked at each other and exclaimed…”Why didn’t we use it earlier!!”

Of course, nobody likes to lose a $100 bucks, but more importantly what are the gifts, the moments, relationships we have right now that we take for granted today, confident they will be there tomorrow. James 4:14 talks about our lives as a mist… here for now and soon vanishes. 2026 still has 363 days or 8,712 hours remaining. What will we do with this precious resource. Once it’s gone, we can never, ever get a moment back.  Ephesians 5…vs. 15 and 16 say…

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as the unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” 

This one challenges and convicts me…am I making the most of every opportunity. More often than not, I don’t.  

Like that gift card where I thought I had plenty of future opportunities…like that..gone. 

So, men, live in the moment, live with intention, and don’t wait to cash in the gift card.