Recently I've been thinking a lot about the idea of "living like today is your last". I feel like this message comes to us from a lot of different directions nowadays. From movies like "The Bucket List" (which, by the way, I do enjoy watching) to quotes and hallmark cards about living like you won't have a tomorrow or hurrying up to do whatever it is you want to do before you die. I think on the surface this idea, though semi-mushy, seems like a good and noble one. Yes--if I was going to die tomorrow there are a million people I would want to call to remind them I love them, there are trips I would want to take and places I would have to see.
But when it comes down to it, I can't do that every day. There are days when I need to sleep. There are days when I need to ignore people and just be by myself. I have to go to work 5 days a week so I can afford a place to live. I have to eat and I have to pee. I have to do a lot of cleaning. I have to run errands and buy groceries and pay bills. When I think of what I would be doing today if it was my last day, I would probably not be watching "Friends" right now and I wouldn't have taken a 3 hr nap this afternoon since I was up late last night. I probably wouldn't have gone to church either because there would be so much else to do.
I cannot live my life like today is my last, and I don't think I'm supposed to. Even Jesus spent time eating, going to the bathroom (although I suppose technically the Bible never mentions He does that, but I'm assuming his human-ness would make him have to), and even spent hours by himself sometimes.
I think there is a wisdom we can hold on to about realizing that we will all die some day and so we should use our time wisely. Of course we are called to be good stewards of our time! But I don't think it's wrong to play a game of solitaire on the computer or to spend an afternoon reading a good book. I think Jesus knows that since most of us don't know when we're going to die, we have to live like we are alive. We have to pay bills and we have to do menial work. And I don't think we are supposed to resent these things. There is an order to life and there are dishes that have to be washed.
So for today, I am going to live like I will probably wake up tomorrow. I am going to go to bed in an hour so I won't be grumpy when I'm at work at 5:45 in the moring. I'm going to feed my guinea pigs and maybe do some sudoku.
(And if by chance I die in my sleep, I love you all very much and someone please be responsible for taking good care of my guinea pigs).
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Last Week's "Maine" Events
It's been 2 years since I went to visit Emily up in Maine, and I was so glad to be able to go again last week! She's pretty much my favorite person on earth, and we had a great time--even with my parents coming along as well! We drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, drove around Baxter State Park and saw a moose, played miniature golf, saw a 1700 lb chocolate moose (the world's only life-sized chocolate moose), went bowling, walked along the boardwalk on the beach, went to millions of touristy gift shops, and all around had a great time. Maine is a GORGOUS state--mostly due just to its climate and natural environment, but also partly due to its anti-billboard law. And of course, everything is more fun when you're with people that make you laugh. Here are a few pictures:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
