Not long ago, I wrote about hearing the quiet whisper of God’s voice while walking along the beach and watching the sun rise. It happened again a few weeks later. This time, rather than strolling on a beach, I was hurrying to the airport for another hectic day. Driving east on the busy freeway, I saw the sun begin to creep over the horizon in a beautiful ball of fire. And it seemed like God said, “Just savor the moment.”

Leadership philosophies are captured in a variety of mantras such as “take the hill” or “just do it” or “carpe diem.” All of these emphasize action. Certainly an inability to act hinders many churches, ministries, and non-profits. But the flip side is also a problem. Some leaders never take their foot off the accelerator. As quickly as one goal is accomplished or project is finished, they’re on to the next. In truth, they begin thinking about the next priority while the team is hard at work on the previous one. 

So on my drive to the airport, I wondered about an alternative to the “Carpe diem” (seize the day) philosophy. Savor the day would be a good mantra for me to adopt, along with many of the leaders that I work with. This has huge implications, organizationally and personally. 

On the organizational side, savoring requires a leader to pay more attention to the bright spots where good things – both large and small – are happening. It means celebrating more often. It implies an ebb and flow between pushing hard toward a goal and then allowing the team to catch their collective breaths. 

The same is true, but even more important, for a leader’s personal life. Many leaders are so caught up in their vital church or ministry roles that they neglect the people who are closest to them. They miss important events, or even if they’re physically present, their minds are somewhere else. They “don’t have time” to savor the little moments because they’re focused on “important” issues.

So especially this week, pause a little longer in your thanksgiving, and truly savor the beauty of the moments that most matter?

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