I know its been a while since I've posted. I've read chapter 6 twice and was stumped on what to write, honestly. The chapter speaks for itself. We are here on this earth on temporary assignment. Makes sense.
Sure it makes sense - but then, there's the pressure of reality, of getting in tune with this "purpose" we all have.
I was hesitant to write much on this chapter because of its obvious nature, but yesterday, something I read in my local newspaper prompted me to think about it in a way that I have in the past, but now with a reminded and refreshed glance.
Over the weekend, our small community lost yet another 17 year old kid to a car accident. He was a prominent figure in his school and community, and always wore an enormous smile on his face, exuding the essence of human acceptance and love, according the people who commented in the newspaper. My babysitter knew him well, and I asked her about him yesterday when she came over to watch my son for a few hours. She said the exact same thing as the folks in the paper.
What I am reminded of here is how often we lose people "too early" in their lives. Even with the recent loss of celebrity, Heath Ledger, its apparent that whether young or old, we will be called to go home with our Father when He is ready to bring us home.
My freshman and sophomore years in college called for a harsh reality with loss. I lost 2 dear friends (ages 18 and 19) in the winter storm storm 24 car pile up in Kansas City in 2000.
A few months later, lost 3 more friends to a drunk driving accident (ages 20, 20 and 21).
A year later, I lost another close friend to a car accident (and almost lost 2 other very close friends in the process) due to poorly marked roads. He was 21.
Recently, I heard of an ex-boyfriend of mine who was killed in a naval helicopter training exercise off the coast of North Carolina that went wrong. He was only 31.
My dear friend "Bo Nannie" who visits this blog is no stranger to this feeling either, especially in these upcoming months. (Girlfriend, your heart is foremost on my mind!!!!! Lean on me, and lets raise a few glasses in a few weeks! There is reason He needs are closest ones near Him!)
Life is so short. Even when speaking to someone who is 90, they feel as though everything flew by in such a short flicker of time. And this world is truly not our home, but its hard to imagine anything else as home, as this is all we've known - life on this earth. Its difficult to frameset our minds to something greater than what we see in front of us. We have to pray that we can see eternity in the eyes of God.
So life is temporary .... eternal is eternal .... and life is an assignment, a trust, a test. This is heavy weight on little shoulders. The biggest test is to keep our heads in the game, keep our eyes on the prize. I often feel panicked that I'm not going to be around long enough to finish my "job" here on earth. That's so silly because I don't really know what my "job" is, and when the Lord takes me, I will have completed what He's set out for me to do. I know that is a dizzying intellect - but that feeling comes on the strongest when I'm sitting. I can't sit long. I get claustrophobic because I'm not "doing" something. Being a mom has really slowed me down, and that's an adjustment I've had to make. I'm finally coming to grips, and I'm scheduling my day so that I have more time to do things other than "sit around" all day. I've just asked the Lord to help me prioritize my schedule to His schedule. I have to pray this every day...
What are the things that test you the most? What are some things that put a harsh reality on the fact that this is a temporary assignment for you?
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Sixteen Inches
- Head vs Heart
- There are approximately 16 inches between my head and my heart. This distance equals miles of difference between the two. Thus, my struggle....
1 comment:
You don't even have to be 90 to realize how quickly life flies by. I was registering my new ipod shuffle last night, (a last ditch effort to motivate me to actually use my 2 month old gym membership) and through the process I had to answer a few questions. One of the questions asked me to check the box of my age group. I'm in a new "box". I have entered the 35 - 44 box. Holy shit! So many things began racing through my head, like I'm now closer to 50 than I am 20. Shit. I'm still in the dating world and by now, I feel sure I've kissed my share of frogs...no....toads...or terds...Shit, I don't necessarily have that sense of feeling as if my biological clock is ticking and getting slower. I don't necessarily feel as if my life is incomplete without having children of my own. However, everyone says when I meet the right man, I will want children. Not sold on that theory, but if there's a remote possibility of that happening, I don't want my eggs to be rotten, either. Ha! Anyway...back to chapter 6... Life is fleeting, and yes, it is a temporary assignment, but it's easy for the waters to get muddy when although life is temporary, we are also instructed to work hard in all you do. There's scripture that says this much more eloquently than that, but that's the core of it. This world is so competitive, it's too easy to get caught up in being the best and focusing on getting to that point. It's a very hard balance. It's also hard because our job is not necessarily our purpose here. I feel sure I'm not going to be saving any lives in my field. There are people who get it and I really admire them. I have a friend who is very, very successful, but what amazes me is the fact that he is constantly throwing his hand out to help pull someone along with him. He truly wants everyone else around him to be as successful as he is. Such a rare quality to find in someone, but he is priceless. At the end of the day though, isn't that part of the reason we are here? To bring glory to God and help those around us? I love that line about how "God uses the weak to lead the strong." We are so arrogant that we usually get that backwards. The strong usually think God is using them to lead the weak. NOT TRUE! Talk a bout a test on this earth...
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