Tuesday, July 22, 2008

"Game On" or "Game Over"?


Statistics show that the human death rate is 100%!
Every person who is born on this planet will, at some point, die. There is no Eli Manning coming in with "hail Mary" pass that will put the game into overtime. Nope. When your time is up, it's up.

Actually, this is going to be an UPLIFTING post... I promise! So keep reading!

In my small group we have been reading/studying/discussing a fabulous book called One Month To Live: 30 Days to a No-Regrets Life. Last night we finished the book. The last two chapters were very powerful. I would recommend this book without hestitation to anyone, be they a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, a Buddhist, an atheist (but really... are there REALLY any true atheists out there? and if so.... they need to go visit Michele's amazing photoblog and then check back with me...).

Anyway, back to my POINT. :-)

The point is, embracing our mortality can liberate us to live as fully and intentionally as possible "in the now"! (See Ecclesiastes 7:4)

Remember that God is very clear that you are on this planet for a reason (Jeremiah 29:11), and He has a distinct purpose and plan for your life. Another very clear point.... one day you will stop breathing, but you will NOT stop living. Your soul will live forever in eternity! (Wow!)

I would encourage you today to think about the two things that will stand the test of time. It's not the cute new sandals that you bought, or your beautiful home, or your convertible. No, those will all eventually turn to dust (or rust). The only TWO things that will stand the test of time, are the Word of God and people. Period. That's it.

So it might make sense to re-focus our time, efforts and energy away from temporal things and towards your relationships. Both with your Creator (however you happen to understand him) and with the people around you.

A parting thought, and a parting passage of scripture:

* No matter how long we live, it will be like only a few seconds in the grand scope of eternity.

*"It is a wonderful thing to be alive! If a person lives to be very old, let him rejoice in every day of life, but let him also remember that eternity is far longer, and that everything down here is futile in comparison." Ecclesiastes 11:7 - 8

7 comments:

abby said...

i'm intruiged.

and i'm enjoying catching up on all of your clever posts! i'm catching up on all my blogging. :)

Sugar Jones said...

Girl... you are gonna get some comments on THIS one. I wrote almost the same thing when I first started LIT. I got a bunch of you're-asking-for-it superstitious comments and all this bad-ju-ju-didn't-you-read-the-Secret crap. My response was, what's the big secret about death? We only have this ONE life! You don't get a do-over. We WILL die one day.

So what are you gonna do about it? Huh, punk?

I'm so glad you get it. Good on'ya MAMA!

HWHL said...

Sugar,
I wish people could have been in my small group last night. The room was practically reverberating with love and the spirit.... it was really amazing. It was like we all collectively "GOT IT". Life is to be LIVED. It's a GIFT. When it's over, it's done. Live it while you have it, so you don't regret it while it's gone.

My posts are usually pretty light and airy... thought it was time for something with some meat on its bones, girl. ;-)

Sugar Jones said...

I LOVE IT! I wish I could have been there!

Hey... so on a totally side note... way off the path of living this one golden life... are you on twitter? Get your crazy butt over there! (http://twitter.com) Then you can tell me all about the PB&J you had for lunch and I can tell you about the color nail polish I'm using. You know... important stuff...

KingdomWriter said...

Couldn't agree more. Everything in this world dies eventually, but the spirit lives on. It is when the spirit gets separated from God that real death occurs. So, might as well live with Him who gives life. And of course, He has said that He will never leave us, and never forsake us. Which I find comforting. And He has great plans for us, which sounds even better!

Unknown said...

Lately I've been moving from one day at a time to one moment at a time.
Each moment is precious...a gift. And who knows if there will be another?

Anne hearts Jackie said...

I see headlines of people killing themselves, leaving husband and kids behind, because they are going to be foreclosed on. Honestly, folks...as long as you are living and smiling at God's graces and embracing ALL that he gives you, how bad can it get? So you have to move out of a house that wasn't really yours in the first place. is that so bad?