I got a call that an old friend of mine died in his sleep last night at 25 years of age. It was a shock. So full of life, a vibrant young music major, loved Christ and everything seemed just fine and ordinary yet he was having heart issues and no one knew. God has His timing right? Right. Perfect timing. But one can't help but remember.... Remember youth band, picking on each other, singing our hearts out to the Lord, smiling and thinking we had so much to look forward too. I remember standing in groups late after youth group was over talking about life...what we wanted to do when high school was over...starting college....getting married. It's so odd to look back into all my 14 years of knowing Kyle and thinking life for him ended Sunday night. The day of rest....God had him rest...in His arms.
I often think of how God chooses people and then fear takes over... Will it be one of my family members or friends? My loved ones? Will it be debilitating pain as my heart will have to learn to live without that person's beautiful smile...heart....hugs? I am thankful that Kyle knew the Lord. I am a coward though...I don't trust enough....love enough.... but I suppose this is a reminder for me.
We must live life as though tomorrow might not come... a phrase we often hear but one that we often just sweep aside into some dark little corner of our busy minds. We go about our everyday busy and mundane lives just to try and get through it all. We start our days exhausted and already tired of life before the day even begins...At least I know I do often... I don't always have the joy of the Lord...actually I usually am tired and don't always notice when people need to be reminded that they are important...loved...worth it. I want to not live life as I do but I fall into the same rut day in and day out. Taking advantage of the gift of friendship, loved ones, family, and even the little joys in life like my doggie and my kitties. "Live life as though tomorrow might not come"...It doesn't mean go and do the stupidest, most illogical and disobedient things so that we can have "experienced it all". It means love with all your heart can give. Don't hold on to hurt, admit when you are wrong., ask forgiveness, and forgive even when everyone things you're crazy for doing so. Live in the light of God's glory, forgiveness, and His amazing grace.
Amazing grace...I so often forget this too...God's amazing forgiving and loving grace....amazing, beautiful, stunning in every way and yet I forget to remember I am forgiven for every stupid thing I say or do, every mistake that I beat myself up for, every flaw I notice and I can't seem to get out of my mind that I need to fix. I can't fix life as much as I want the whole world to have food, water, a home, love and of course Jesus. For now I am left with the beauty of amazing grace and the privileged task of sharing it with all I know...and some I don't. Left with the important task of living life trusting that I am forgiven, loved, a blessed child of the king yet still tainted by my humanity and the sinful self that comes with it. So now I go hopefully not to forget in a week what I remember today.
If you read this, (yes I know it is long and if you do God bless you for reading this far!) remember you are loved by me and by God, remember Christ died for you and forgives you completely...fully...with an unending love. Live in the Light of God's glory...His amazing grace. Please give someone a hug today, tell them you love them and mean it with all you are. Smile and show the Joy God gives you because you are forgiven. Don't dwell on things you do wrong or the other stupid things people do. Forgive them...completely...fully cause it's not worth mulling over in your brain, your brain has enough in it already. Put aside the unimportant things and have a good conversation with someone perhaps over coffee...I like coffee :0). Remember to thank the Lord for your life even if at times you don't think it is that great cause He thought you could handle it and thrive in that life...and God is not wrong so it means if He believes in you then you should believe you can do it with the help of the King of Kings.
Go out and serve God, minister in love through serving others....
"Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words" gotta love Martin Luther
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