One Life to Live

The night is finally beginning to quiet down, except for the one late night child who climbs from bed for his final glass of milk. Since the sun has hidden its face the Dent family has enjoyed bouts of laughter as we assembled in the bed to kiss Daddy good night. And there are a few of us have cried several tears. The Discovery Channel is playing on the television, and my mind is kneeding the many thoughts from the weekend with the emotions that have been awakened over the past several hours. Normally I write something that I think on for several days. Tonight, I am writing about the things that are in my heart and mind this verymoment. My hope is to emphasize the imperative and release the frivilous.

Life is so much more than what we realize or are willing to understand. It is much bigger than one man, one woman, or one issue. It is not the winning or losing of our wills. Nor is it the sum of what we make or how we think. Life is a journey of growth, pain, joy, and understanding. It goes beyond me, you, and the sum total of all mankind. Life is the realization of the Creator. If we miss this, we miss everything.

So often we are lulled by issues of little importance - "This offends me", "I don't like what I look like", "I believe all people should do it this way", "I am here only to please myself." We fail to see, to experience life as it really is - big, significant, beautiful, terrifying, and valuable. We work, we sweat, we strive and strain only to find in the end that all of it didn't matter anyway. The things we poured our lives into were only vapors that dissappeared as soon as we lifted away the hand of diligent yet weary manipulation.

Some don't see this until their life's timeline has come to its end. Others are fortunate enough to experience this reality early enough in life to change their beliefs and behaviors. Sadly, though, it seems to be very few. Reading the paper this evening I found it interesting to learn of how one woman writes Dear Abby to complain that an old man stops her in the grocery store to encourage her to smile while another couple is interviewed telling about how they have chosen to plant themselves in a neighborhood where they can reach out to meet the needs of others. One got it, the other didn't. One looked to herself and whispered, "It's all about me." The other looked to her Creator and shouted, "It's all about you!" One life will end and life will continue as it always had for those who knew her. The other life will one day end and the lives of others will be forever changed. One life is empty, the other is full and alive.

When we look inward, are we looking into ourselves or are we searching our souls for the direction God has for our lives? Are we interested only in what affects me, or in what will have the greatest affect on the lives of others? Are we wanting to pour out our frustration or to pour out our lives for the benefit of others? Who are we really, and where are our lives going?