21 Mar Make It Count.
An airplane crashes in Ethiopia on March 10 killing all 157 people on board. A shooter opens fire at a Muslim mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand on March 15 killing fifty. Cyclone Idai ravages Mozambique on March 19, with 300 already reported dead, but some officials believe the total could exceed 1000 when all souls are accounted for.
Last week I wrote about an “app” called “WeCroak” that sends messages five times per day to your phone, reminding you of your mortality. Who needs an app? Everyday the headlines scream that our lives are transitory, that we are merely “passing through” this mortal plane. Of course, it’s tantalizingly easy to ignore the headlines as terrible events that happen “over there” to “other people.” Our rational minds tell us that yes, one day our earthly lives will end, but we don’t live as if it is really true. We live as if there will always be another tomorrow to mend that relationship, to get in shape, to pray, to visit the elderly neighbor, to spend uninterrupted time with our children making up a silly game.
I wonder how we would live differently if we were more immediately and consciously aware of the sands of time sliding through the hour glass. I believe we might worry less. Who wants to waste precious grains of sand fretting over things that might never happen or that can’t be changed? I think we might find it in ourselves to be more patient. After all, do we want our limited time constantly marred by anger and resentment? I wonder if we might not choose to invest more of ourselves in the people with whom we share home, work, school and community, since these are the folks who love and support us, as well as give shape and meaning to our days. I also suspect that things like image, what other people think of us, what we drive or wear, and which titles appear after our names would recede in importance while feeding our souls, expressing our talents, and serving the world might take on a greater sense of urgency and significance.
Today is the first day of spring. Daffodils are blooming, reminding me that winter will not last forever. The tulips I planted last autumn aren’t showing their colors yet, but they are up and out of the ground, preparing to dazzle. We’ve fired up the grill a couple of times this week. I’ve left the house wearing a jacket instead of bundled into my parka. We are surrounded by signs of newness, of the ebb and flow of life as one season gives way to another. How might you use this time of transition to reflect on your life? What are the ways in which you are living authentically, with purpose and joy? Is there an area you’ve been ignoring that needs attention? Is there something you need to do—a phone call to make, an apology to voice, a helping hand to lend—that you’ve been putting off? How will you invest your grains of sand today? It’s a vital question, because one thing is certain: you will never get this day back. So make it count.
Yours for the Kingdom,
Michelle
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