Death is many things. It is unfortunate, untimely, unexpected, sorrowful, regretful, painful, heartbreaking, life changing, often defining, but ultimately inevitable. It is an event that we have no real control over. It is an event that can sometimes, if we are attentive, change our perspective and influence our thoughts and behaviors toward our fellow man. Petty differences that might have divided a relationship, or entire family, suddenly seem so…petty. We come face to face with the fact that we wasted time on grievances that could have been resolved if someone had chosen to make that first step toward peace.
We are often so vain and walk around with a false sense of security and a delusional belief in our immortality. We forget that life is fleeting and time passes so very quickly. We plan our lives to at least our eighties with expectation of seeing future generations brought into this world. We hold on to our grudges as though they are a badge of honor. We smugly judge one another with a foolish sense of superiority. We gloat when someone else fails because somehow, in our mind, that means we succeeded.
When we lose someone, it sometimes slows us down. It is a moment in time that reminds us that we are here for only a moment. Death challenges us to rise from the ashes of our self-centeredness, to look around us and take inventory of what really matters. We are given a pause to reflect on how we would like to be remembered when we leave this earth. When we look upon the shell of a life we once knew, we remember what that life meant to us, how they enriched our lives. Maybe another thought to ponder is how did we enrich their life? Were we genuine? Did we love sincerely without expectation? Were we there when we needed to be? Did we walk in forgiveness?
We cannot live and love perfectly but we can live and love on purpose. We cannot change our past but we can certainly determine our future by how we treat one another. Walk in forgiveness. Set yourself free from that heavy weight of carrying a grudge. Get over yourself. Here’s a little secret: The one who dies with the most toys doesn’t win. They just die. We brought nothing into this world and we take nothing with us, but we leave behind a legacy. The legacy we leave is determined by every choice we make and every attitude we choose. Choose wisely.
Take time to treasure those you love. Strive for quality of time, especially if the time spent is limited. It is said that the best leaders are those that know also how to follow. We all have a story. We each, in our own way, would like to be heard. Perhaps if we skilled ourselves in the art of listening we would find it is not so hard to be heard. It might even become less important as we discover that when we listen our lives are enriched by what we hear. That which we hear may teach and instruct us, guide us, keep us from harm, give us a new perspective, amuse us, heal us and warm us as we make a connection that extends beyond our own needs.
There is so much beauty found in the people who surround us, whether our views are the same or polar opposites. Open your hearts, let compassion flow and empathy grow. We don’t have to enable bad behavior in others to appreciate them, to look beyond their present shortcomings and see them as the Lord sees them. When I sit in the presence of the Lord and take time to feel His love for me, my heart cannot help but overflow with love for others. I know where He brought me from and what He brought me through. How can I deny another person the opportunity for that same love to transform their life?
I believe in God, I trust in Jesus, I believe His word. I believe in Heaven and Hell. I believe because He is proven to me beyond any doubt. I don’t believe because I am told to. I don’t believe because I have been brainwashed or bought some snake oil story. He is not a crutch. He is my Savior. I have lived one of the most amazing lives hidden in obscurity. I don’t mind that it has been hidden. I don’t mind that you may not ‘get it’. I truly understand that you may not understand. That does not mean we cannot be friends, have wonderful, colorful discussions, share each other’s burdens and triumph together when we have victory.
I love you regardless of how our views line up. Let me be me and I’ll let you be you. Just for fun and giggles you can keep my number on speed dial for when you need or want a perspective that may be a bit out of the box. Maybe you just need a person on the other end to sit in silence as you work it out loud for yourself. Whatever the need, I will do my best to be here…to be a friend.
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