Has life passed YOU by?

Thornton Wilder, in his play Our Town, tells the story of life as it is lived out and amid the relationships of mundane daily living. We see life’s daily routine in all its monotony: the milk arrives, dinner is eaten, laborers people go to their jobs, housewives clean their homes, and handymen go to work daily.  In the story, the turning point came when Emily Gibbs died giving birth to her baby, and the routine was suddenly broken.

From the realm of the dead, Emily is given a chance to return to earth for a day of her choice as it was actually lived out, so she could enjoy it once again, this time through nostalgic eyes. She watched the activity and preparation that was going on in celebration of her twelfth birthday. As expected, on an occasion, the household is filled with presents, food, and family. The party buzzes with activity.

But from the sidelines, Emily notices the complete loss of any personal attention that would make her day and life meaningful. The attention of everyone is on the occasion, not on the person. She is appalled at what she observes. From the unseen, she pleads, "Just for a moment, we’re happy. Let’s look at one another." But her cry is disregarded. They could not hear her because they were trapped by the superficial.  As she bids her final farewell, she laments, "Oh, Earth, you’re too wonderful for anyone to realize you!"

Then she turns to the stage manager and asks, “Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it every, every moment?"

The response comes, "No. The saints and poets, maybe they do some."

"Do any realize life while they live it?”

Psalm 39 teaches us a somber lesson as the Psalmist provides us with keen perspective: 

“Lord, reveal to me the end of my life and the number of my days. Let me know how short-lived I am. You, indeed, have made my days short in length, and my life span as nothing in Your sight. Yes, every mortal man is only a vapor. 

Certainly, man walks about like a mere shadow.
Indeed, they frantically rush around in vain,
gathering possessions
without knowing who will get them.

Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You.”

Maybe this would be a good time for you to take a moment and ponder this question. 

Why is it that at the end of most people’s lives, they all wish they had smiled more, worked less, and spent more quality time with those they loved the most?  More engaging conversations, a lot less arguing over the trivial, and so many more hugs. 

We tend to buzz right through life, from one calendar appointment to the next -all the while missing the remarkable moments that fill our lives. 

If this article strikes a chord with you, I will ask that you take it; post it in a place where you can see it every day.  

Because we all need reminders, don’t we?

Reminders to "Realize life while we live it."

I can't get NO satisfaction!

“So if not satisfaction, what is a worthy goal for our lives? In the words of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, “to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” When we reorient ourselves around God, rather than expect him to orient himself around us, we stop wondering what is worth living for.”1 

 In his book First Things First, Stephen Covey suggests changing the way we think about time: from the clock to the compass. Clock thinking is working out how to get more and more things done. Compass thinking is working out which things to focus on in the first place. “Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.” Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. How often have you said, “I wish I had more time to get things done!”  The Clock represents how well we manage our time, so we are always looking for new tools and apps that can increase our efficiency by squeezing more and more tasks and activities into our daily and weekly routines.  We are doing enough of the right things that are embedded in our Compass – i.e., those first things that matter the most to us in life, like our purpose, our mission, our relationships, our values and principles, and our key priorities that were laid out so brilliantly by Stephen Covey in his best-selling book Putting First Things First. 

I recall a book that was very popular years ago titled, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.” This is rather misleading, according to Covey’s advice. The reason is that the small things, indeed, make up the BIG things!  It has been said that “If you take care of the minutes, the hours will take care of themselves.”  Jesus taught this principle in Luke 16:10 when he said, “He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much.” To clarify, the compass represents the BIG things, the things in your life that you value.  Aspects like: family, faith, friends, and career.  The clock represents the little things and how you live your daily life.  So if you want to be a happy person, you must first decide what your core values are and then hold on dearly to the things you truly value.  Then, you must live in a way that aligns with that decision.  The reason why many are unhappy today is because their Compass and their Watch are out of whack.  There is no alignment between the BIG things (their values) and the small things (how they live).  

Biblically, we see this tension in the life of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane. Recall the setting. The disciples were asked to stay awake and pray, yet Jesus returned to find them snoozing. Remember, many will confuse your goal(s) if they do not understand your compass, which is invisible, and the watch is visible. What was important to Jesus at that time seemingly was not to His followers. You will be driven by your values more than those around you - pursue them anyway! I digress; back to the point, Jesus was in deep despair, yet we find Him praying, “Not my will, but your will be done.” Jesus was keenly aware of what was right about the corner. He understood the assignment, yet He unflinchingly bowed to the will of God for His life. Why did He do this? Better yet, HOW did he do this? It was because His highest value was found in delighting His Father. Circling back to the original quote, he found satisfaction in a worthy goal. Satisfaction is something we all pursue, so hopefully, your life follows your values, providing you with the satisfaction you are looking for.     

1. Amy Simpson, ALL THE SATISFACTION WE CAN'T FIND: WHY FILLING THAT 'GOD-SHAPED HOLE' MAY NOT BE GOD'S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE.