Today begins week 6 of my recovery. And after looking at Face-book I realized that today is also the day four years ago that my childhood friend, golfing buddy and fellow pastor passed from us. It gives me even more incentive to work hard at doing the right things to recover and then live out this gift that I have been given. Life is a precious thing that we all too often take for granted. I remember some years back dealing with a vet who struggles with the "why" question. Why did he return and others did not. I think there is great theology behind life and death. God gives us life to learn what the perfect creation is and what it was supposed to look like. We humans continually mess that up with our controlling, selfish ways. And yet God never stops loving us. And death is the ultimate love for us. If we have come to faith, death is simply a stepping stone, like my friend Rick who I suspect is singing with the choir and preparing to whip my butt in golf in the heavens. For those who may choose to believe something different, a precious gift of life may be God giving us more time to choose. Or we could be given more time to make a difference in someone else's life for those that believe.
I remember two discussions around the breakfast table on Friday mornings that used to come up with some regularity. One was that we need to remain still to hear that quiet voice of God. That it is in the stillness of reflection and prayer that God can often talk with us and we (who live in a world of self infused noise and clutter) can truly hear. And that we are running out of time. Whether Christ comes tomorrow or our passing arrives first, we truly have one less day than we did yesterday. And our task to further the Kingdom becomes so important when we realize that we are running out of time.
What are you going to do with your gift of life?
Ease into that pulpit, friend. Reading the lectionary commentary the other week, one writer quoted a famous theologian who said, "Hell is knowing truth, too late!" Doesn't apply to you but thought it fit the genre of your revelation. Realizing we've wasted "the gift." Now, that's sad; I don't care you are! Get'er done!! Blessings.
ReplyDelete