I recently had a thought-provoking conversation with a friend of mine facing the possibility of losing a loved one due to a menacing diagnosis. As we talked about the emotional roller coaster of it all, she said something that struck me: The hardest part is trying to sustain a sense of normalcy, yet wondering each night if she had done enough to make that day count.
It seemed like such a familiar thought to me. My friend is dealing with a terminal diagnosis, but we are all terminal. This Earth is not our home. This is just a brief stopover on our way to Glory. And yet, there are bills to pay, clothes to launder, dishes to wash, floors to scrub, noses to wipe...and despite great friends, a loving family, prayer, praise music, reading the Word and a genuine desire to be different for the Lord, I lose my patience, get aggravated, gossip when I shouldn't, have a bad attitude, waste time doing meaningless things...
I don't want to be lukewarm or hypocritical. I want my life to be salty and full of the light of God.
How can I make each moment count without sweating the small stuff? How do I live in this world with a mind fully attuned to the heart of God? How do I treat life as the fleeting opportunity that it is and exercise good stewardship with the time God has entrusted to me and give myself room to rest, savor the moments, spend quality time investing in relationships, teaching my children virtues like diligence, commitment and delayed gratification?
I don't have the answers tonight....just pondering. Praying God will show me day-by-day, moment-by-moment how to really walk with Him.
2 comments:
My husband says that the adventure of life is not so much in the destination, but in the journey itself. This relationship with Christ is a journey. Wiping noses, doing laundry and battling with bad attitudes are all things that make up this journey we are on. God help us to learn as we walk down this road...not worrying about what is at the end of it but savoring each adventure along the way no matter how menial or how complex it might be.
-R
I have read your blog for quite some time, but have never commented. I always enjoy what you have to say and I feel that we have similar views on many things even though we are at different phases of life. This post is especially touching to me as I have done a lot of thinking about the exact same things lately. I just lost my grandmother, very suddenly, about 2 weeks ago. She was the most joyful person I have ever met and I don't think she ever said an unkind word to or about anyone. She died very unexpectedly, but I think about her life and how she lived it and I cannot imagine that she died with any regrets. So often I get caught up in all of the earthly thing you mentioned... losing my grandmother and reflecting on her life has really convicted me to enjoy life more... to really focus on the things that matter and add value to my life and the lives of those I love. It has also really convicted me about gossiping... the thing that I like least about myself! I am most definitely a work in progress... thanks for your words here though. It always feels good to know that some else out there feels the same way I do.
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