How ironic it is that it takes someone to die
to teach someone to live. Yet that is
what happened to me. When a friend of mine passed from earth into eternity, it
made me realize how vital it is that my life while here on earth needs to be
lived in light of that great eternity. I grieved not the life that was lost but
the loss of the life I had already lived. If I knew I was to die in 5 minutes,
I would be frantic with regret of things I have not done or said, or things I
should not have done or said. How is it then that many times in Scripture we
are taught that very thing and yet it ceases to be a habit of our lives? Acts
17:25 states that God “gives to all life and breath…”or Proverbs 27:1, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you
do not know what a day may bring.”Why then, do our lives not
follow this mindset?
When my friend died, I realized what an
oxymoron life truly is. Life is a gift and yet is a gift that we know for a
fact, will at some point be taken from us. We should never live life as though
we are counting on or certain of the future, but rather to live a life that is
planned for the future. One may ask what the difference is. As a human being
and soul, there is nothing more important in this temporary life than being
prepared for the life that is to follow. Without God in my life, true life
ceases to exist and life becomes a mundane ritual that has no purpose. Yet if I
were to live with the mindset in my life, that there will always be tomorrow, then
that wrongly portrays what life is to God. Life is God’s gift to me, what I do
with that life is my gift to God. That verse in Acts states that “God gives”,
many a time at funerals the verse from Job is read, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken
away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Life is a gift! For any other gift, I
am thankful, I am grateful, I may be rendered speechless with the generosity of
it and I use it or spend it wisely because it is that – a gift. Why then is
life – something far more priceless than anything else I could receive- treated
with such indifference?
Even
though my friend’s life was cut short at age 17, he left behind a full memory
and lasting legacy. This too, dramatically shifted my view on my own life. What
is the sole purpose of my life? Is it to ultimately bring glory to God? I must
reply in shame that my selfish heart answers no. And yet what greater purpose
can there be, than to bring glory to my Creator and Savior? So I have resolved
to set goals and a means of direction to my life which is in tune with the will
of God, and thus by me, with His help, seeking to carry out that will, I may
bring glory to His person. However, we must not forget that God has blessed us
with countless gifts along the journey. When is the last time I appreciated the
things He has placed directly in my life to remind me of Him and His goodness
to me? I now realize that the laugh of my nieces or nephew is a gift. The
beauty of grand music, the smell of a rare flower, the invaluable friendships I
have, the love of a family, the chance to get an education, the privilege of
having a job and the list could go on. I do believe in the great significance
of the little things.
How
simple it is and yet how hard for us to apologize when needed, to express our
love, to say what needs to be said and to do what needs to be done, to
acknowledge what we have rather than focusing on what we don’t have. I am
challenging myself, as I turn the age of 20, to live a life that counts! To
live the one life I get, that if I knew I was to die in 5 minutes, I would pass
into eternity prepared, and to stand before Christ with no shame, without the
burden of regret and goals not yet reached, knowing that I had touched others
lives with my life, and ultimately bringing glory to the One who have me this
life to begin with. This life is not for forever, it is for right now. Eternity
is not right now but it is forever. God give me the help, focus and strength to
remember that.
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