A Norvell Note
November 28, 2022 – Vol. 26 No. 38
The Moment That Could Not Last
From the soundtrack of A River Runs Through It, one 84-second excerpt always catches my ear and takes me to another place. The name of the piece is The Moment That Could Not Last. Every time it plays, I pause, time stands still, and reflect on moments that could not last.
When my wife and I were dating and in the early days of marriage there were moments that I wanted to last. The first time we kissed. The first time we said I love you. Our first Christmas and anniversary. The birth of our children we held them for the first time. I wanted those moments to last forever. But those moments did not and could not last. As they have grown and become parents themselves there have been more moments than I can recall that could not last.
There have been moments in ministry that no matter how much I wanted them to last, they could not. There were the Saturday night devotionals around the campfire when we sang and never got tired. There was the worship assembly where God’s Spirit was active. There were weddings that I officiated and saw the look on the groom’s face when his bride came into his view. There were the meals with friends when we cried because we did not know when or if we would see each other again.
I could also include holidays and vacations with my family, coffee with a friend, standing by the ocean at sunset, golf on a beautiful day, time with our grandchildren, watching my kids play sports or perform on stage, and ordinary times with people I love. All were moments I wanted to last but could not.
Every time it plays, I pause, time stands still, and reflect on moments that could not last. Sometimes I weep. Sometimes I smile. Sometimes I play the song again and wish those moments could have lasted and thank God for those moments that could not last.
I treasure those moments that could not last, and I long for more.
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