“There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (MSG)
Source: Buried Alive
Photo Credit: treasure pile with lots of gold coins and jewelry riches | Flickr …
I don’t want to come to the end of my life and regret that my time was spent on things that gather dust. I don’t want to waste my breath on things that rot, or my labor on that which can be burned in the fire.
Source: Buried Alive
Photo Credit: Stroma, Scotland – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I don’t want to be buried alive. And I would guess if a survey were taken on the ways people least want to die, being buried alive would top the charts. Yet quietly, imperceptibly, it’s happening. Here. Now. In our own homes. Each day, we are suffocating unaware.
Who is the evil perpetrator seeking to steal our lives?
If a crime scene investigation series were devoted to finding the villain behind the madness, it would take the slyest of sleuths to crack the case—because the antagonist is among the least noticed and most unsuspected, and so much the object of our affections that we would never believe it a silent killer.
Are you in suspense wondering who the evil nemesis could be? Let me ease your curiosity. It’s…our stuff.
That’s right. Our stuff. Stop and think back to the moment you first noticed your lifeblood draining, your strength failing. It may have been in the midst of that endless succession of phone calls to customer service trying to resolve an issue with that “thing” once so needed. It may have been the last time you attempted to organize your basement or garage into some semblance of sanity. Or maybe it was when you walked by your teen’s bedroom and found them them swallowed alive by electronic gadgets as the slow-dawning realization came upon you…that a significant chunk of your labor was spent to pay for those gadgets now stealing your child away.
Yes, we need things for daily life, but when those things start to devour our life, it gets dangerous. Our precious time is spent working for, purchasing, cleaning, maintaining, refurbishing, storing, organizing, and getting rid of…things. We work extra hours, spend time away from family, all so we can have stuff we think we need, only to realize this stuff has robbed us of what we need even more.
I don’t want to come to the end of my life and regret that my time was spent on things that gather dust. I don’t want to waste my breath on things that rot, or my labor on that which can be burned in the fire. There is an allure to the temporary: it comes cloaked in light only to steal our lives. God, help us…that we do not fall victim.
“There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (MSG)
Source: Buried Alive
Photo Credit: All my worldly possessions… | Flickr – Photo Sharing!
It’s easy to get stressed when things don’t go my way, but maybe my way wasn’t the way the day was supposed to go. When I learn to see interruptions as opportunities, more possibilities unfold than I could have imagined had I remained trapped in the realm of disappointment.
Source: Interrupted
Photo Credit: File:Bison Roadblock in Yellowstone Natonal Park.JPG – Wikimedia …
After taking off work, getting up earlier than usual, and driving over an hour and a half in rush hour traffic to get to our appointment, I wasn’t happy to find out the doctor had cancelled without notice. That Bible verse about taming the tongue came in handy right about then. So instead of calling the doctor to demand he pack up his golf clubs and keep his originally scheduled commitment, I took my kids to the downstairs gym.
While I continued in my attempts to suppress a barrage of choice words about our MIA doctor, my daughter quickly made friends with a precious boy who insisted we stay for wheelchair basketball. The boy was so charming, so joyful despite his circumstances. We couldn’t resist his invitation.
Six hours later, we were on the sidelines, believing we’d be watching the tournament. Instead, the staff rolled out enough wheelchairs that we all could play with the boy and a few of his friends. My daughter flew around on her chair like a pro while I struggled to keep up. In the end, we had the most fun we’d had in awhile and made some new friends in the process.
If not for my easy-going daughter, I might have had a meltdown that day instead of a blast. She’s not concerned with delays, floating through life as though stress were not a dictionary term. She saw the interruption as an opportunity to make friends and have some fun along the way. And I’m glad she did! Because of her worry-free outlook, we got to know that little 7-year old inspiration and to be on his winning team. It was worth the unexpectedly cancelled doctors appointment and the extra six hour wait at the children’s hospital.
I try to keep the memory of that day in mind whenever I encounter what I perceive to be interruptions. It’s easy to get stressed when things don’t go my way, but maybe my way wasn’t the way the day was supposed to go. When I learn to see interruptions as opportunities, more possibilities unfold than I could have imagined had I remained trapped in the realm of disappointment.
Photo Credit: Free stock photo: Sign, Detour, Road Closed – Free Image on …
“You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.” (Psalm 39:5-7)
Source: the Dash Between the Years
Photo Credit: File:Blowing in the Wind (4211447682).jpg – Wikimedia Commons
I don’t want to leave this world unnoticed. I don’t want to leave the world unaffected by my being here. But I know it’s not always the big things that matter. More often, it’s the little things that add up to the dash between the years.
Source: the Dash Between the Years
Photo Credit: File:Sunset at the sea in autumn with dried grass in front.jpg …
This Life & Beyond 
You must be logged in to post a comment.