death
a friend's sister died this weekend, and i am overwhelmed and heartbroken by it. i am reminded how quick and unexpected life is. and there's no turning back. i tiptoe a lot in this life. it takes a lot to put yourself out there. to say this is who you are, what you believe and what you don't believe, how you choose to live your life or don't. so because of that, i tiptoe, because it's uncomfortable, and awkward and hard to stand up sometimes and say "this is what i think is important, whether anyone else does or not". the hot topics i tend to stray from. i'd rather make people feel good then uncomfortable. but all i can think about right now is the burden on my heart to remind each of us how precious life is and of the most important decision that we make in this lifetime.
there's one known fact, we all have very little control over tomorrow, or the rest of today for that matter. waking up each morning is dangerous, because we have no idea what is going to happen next. we are all participants in this show we call life, and we don't get to choose to enter the stage and most of us don't choose when we will leave. look around, at the sky, what's around you, we are all in the midst of something beautiful, an amazing story, and none of us knows what happens next. it is out of our control, and this is the life we all live.
for me, i believe that we're in the midst of a world created by a loving God. every person and thing surrounding us. i believe that every one of us is breathing simultaneously in this moment because breath was breathed into us by our creator. the same creator for every one of us. this knowledge is within us, and when we are brave enough to be quiet with ourselves, i believe we feel it, and know it. this truth within our soul is not just in some of us, but in all of us. and it is frightening to be silent, because it is real.
the struggle is finding this truth within us. the whole world is searching. and some of us have given up and quit searching completely. but the burden on my heart in this moment, is that there's not enough time in this life to quit searching. i'm reminded how quick life is, how short each of our journeys are; even if it lasts 100 years. because the inevitable truth is, every one of our journeys will come to an end. and when it does, the searching is through. no second chance. no more time. what you have chosen in that moment, is it. we will live out our decision in this life forever. we are reminded of our humanness when someone close to us passes or instantly someone famous is gone. they can't die, not them, they are invincible. we all are. that's how we feel and live at least.
so where i'm at in this moment, is i'm being reminded that i am not invincible. that every breath is a gift that i will never understand how much i took for granted, until i have no more. that in this moment of boldness because i feel i am a coward otherwise, i know that i have to share what i believe, because this is the last moment i may get as well. I believe that the breath within each of us, was put there by one creator, and that there's not room for more than one. and whether we choose to believe this or not, is the difference between life and death. between an eternity with God or the faux pas phrase of "eternity in hell"- but i believe it is truth. i believe that creator is the same within each of us, and if we really go looking, it will be impossible not to find it, because it is stitched into every part of our being. and i believe that all of our lives depend on this, because we will all die, and in that moment, not one other thing will matter except who our God is. because we all choose our God. whatever we make most important in this life becomes our God. every person, individually, on our own, has a decision to make that no one else in the world can make for us, and on it rests EVERYTHING. in this moment i'm reminded how lightly we take this life, and our belief in God and Jesus as his sacrificed son. and in this moment i am reminded that at the end of it all, when it ALL goes back in the box; who we loved, what we did with our time, what degrees we have, awards we received and goals we've accomplished; NONE of it will matter, except whether or not we accept Jesus as our personal Savior for what none of us could do on our own.
in this moment, right now, we all have a decision to make. because 2 hours from now, or tomorrow, may never come. and each of us, whether we take the time to search within ourselves or not; whether we choose to accept this God as our savior or not; are ALL choosing. this is our choice. and i believe more than anything, that this is the most important choice that we will ever make; the only decision in life in the end that truly matters, and will continue to matter for eternity.
this choice means everything.
i'm learning that it has nothing to do with having it all figured out or knowing every answer. it doesn't have to do with our lives being cleaned up before we go to Him; that's the whole point. they aren't. and we are broken. we always will be. no one has it all together or never doubts or never questions or does it right all the time. i don't think we are supposed to. we all are participants in this life, and we just get pieces of the puzzle as we go. for someone to claim otherwise, is to claim to be a god, and we are not. we are all in this mess of life together, trying to figure it out as we go, and i don't know why it took me so long to understand the simplicity that Jesus just wanted to walk along side me, with me, as i question, as i doubt and as i try my best to figure it out.
it's so simple. and i have no idea why we try to make it so complicated.
it comes down to acknowledging that we're broken and need a savior. and accepting Jesus Christ as God's son and our savior and receiving his grace and forgiveness. and despite the questions and the chaos that our lives are, we invite him into the heart and soul he created within us. we invite him to walk with us through this confusion and brokenness that is life.
our soul will never be whole until we do.
Jess,
my heart is broken for you and your family. i am being forced to stare at my own humanness and the fact that life is but a second. i am scared to death by this reality and am overwhelmed by the way i treat this gift of life. i realize that there's not time to tiptoe anymore because this is real, and gut wrenching and unscripted and the most dangerous game we will ever play. i can't begin to imagine what peace and joy your sister feels right now next to her creator. more than our souls could ever contain here. i can't imagine your pain. i am so sorry for this nightmare. i pray that the God that is standing with your sister comforts you and your family. i pray that he gives you strength. i don't have words jess. my heart is broken for you all. i am so sorry. you are covered in prayers. you are loved.
there's one known fact, we all have very little control over tomorrow, or the rest of today for that matter. waking up each morning is dangerous, because we have no idea what is going to happen next. we are all participants in this show we call life, and we don't get to choose to enter the stage and most of us don't choose when we will leave. look around, at the sky, what's around you, we are all in the midst of something beautiful, an amazing story, and none of us knows what happens next. it is out of our control, and this is the life we all live.
for me, i believe that we're in the midst of a world created by a loving God. every person and thing surrounding us. i believe that every one of us is breathing simultaneously in this moment because breath was breathed into us by our creator. the same creator for every one of us. this knowledge is within us, and when we are brave enough to be quiet with ourselves, i believe we feel it, and know it. this truth within our soul is not just in some of us, but in all of us. and it is frightening to be silent, because it is real.
the struggle is finding this truth within us. the whole world is searching. and some of us have given up and quit searching completely. but the burden on my heart in this moment, is that there's not enough time in this life to quit searching. i'm reminded how quick life is, how short each of our journeys are; even if it lasts 100 years. because the inevitable truth is, every one of our journeys will come to an end. and when it does, the searching is through. no second chance. no more time. what you have chosen in that moment, is it. we will live out our decision in this life forever. we are reminded of our humanness when someone close to us passes or instantly someone famous is gone. they can't die, not them, they are invincible. we all are. that's how we feel and live at least.
so where i'm at in this moment, is i'm being reminded that i am not invincible. that every breath is a gift that i will never understand how much i took for granted, until i have no more. that in this moment of boldness because i feel i am a coward otherwise, i know that i have to share what i believe, because this is the last moment i may get as well. I believe that the breath within each of us, was put there by one creator, and that there's not room for more than one. and whether we choose to believe this or not, is the difference between life and death. between an eternity with God or the faux pas phrase of "eternity in hell"- but i believe it is truth. i believe that creator is the same within each of us, and if we really go looking, it will be impossible not to find it, because it is stitched into every part of our being. and i believe that all of our lives depend on this, because we will all die, and in that moment, not one other thing will matter except who our God is. because we all choose our God. whatever we make most important in this life becomes our God. every person, individually, on our own, has a decision to make that no one else in the world can make for us, and on it rests EVERYTHING. in this moment i'm reminded how lightly we take this life, and our belief in God and Jesus as his sacrificed son. and in this moment i am reminded that at the end of it all, when it ALL goes back in the box; who we loved, what we did with our time, what degrees we have, awards we received and goals we've accomplished; NONE of it will matter, except whether or not we accept Jesus as our personal Savior for what none of us could do on our own.
in this moment, right now, we all have a decision to make. because 2 hours from now, or tomorrow, may never come. and each of us, whether we take the time to search within ourselves or not; whether we choose to accept this God as our savior or not; are ALL choosing. this is our choice. and i believe more than anything, that this is the most important choice that we will ever make; the only decision in life in the end that truly matters, and will continue to matter for eternity.
this choice means everything.
i'm learning that it has nothing to do with having it all figured out or knowing every answer. it doesn't have to do with our lives being cleaned up before we go to Him; that's the whole point. they aren't. and we are broken. we always will be. no one has it all together or never doubts or never questions or does it right all the time. i don't think we are supposed to. we all are participants in this life, and we just get pieces of the puzzle as we go. for someone to claim otherwise, is to claim to be a god, and we are not. we are all in this mess of life together, trying to figure it out as we go, and i don't know why it took me so long to understand the simplicity that Jesus just wanted to walk along side me, with me, as i question, as i doubt and as i try my best to figure it out.
it's so simple. and i have no idea why we try to make it so complicated.
it comes down to acknowledging that we're broken and need a savior. and accepting Jesus Christ as God's son and our savior and receiving his grace and forgiveness. and despite the questions and the chaos that our lives are, we invite him into the heart and soul he created within us. we invite him to walk with us through this confusion and brokenness that is life.
our soul will never be whole until we do.
Jess,
my heart is broken for you and your family. i am being forced to stare at my own humanness and the fact that life is but a second. i am scared to death by this reality and am overwhelmed by the way i treat this gift of life. i realize that there's not time to tiptoe anymore because this is real, and gut wrenching and unscripted and the most dangerous game we will ever play. i can't begin to imagine what peace and joy your sister feels right now next to her creator. more than our souls could ever contain here. i can't imagine your pain. i am so sorry for this nightmare. i pray that the God that is standing with your sister comforts you and your family. i pray that he gives you strength. i don't have words jess. my heart is broken for you all. i am so sorry. you are covered in prayers. you are loved.
