Life is About Living

When I was a college student, I heard and saw a lot of things.  As a Christian, there were many times that I chose to omit a reading assignment, simply because of my personal beliefs.  Other than that, I was the studious student who sat in the front row every day, always asking and answering questions, eager to participate in the class as much as I possibly could without dominating the conversation, which I am sure I often did.  The professors loved having me in their class, always complimenting me on my obvious love for knowledge.  All of my hard work paid off when I achieved a 4.0 GPA on my Master of Science degree, having completed all six years of college with honors.  Of course, I give all of the praise and honor and glory to Jesus Christ, for without Him, I am nothing.  Without Him, I could not do anything.  But with God on my side, I can do anything!

While my college career was primarily a positive one, there was one assignment that I learned about in one of my education classes that disturbed me.  The professor said a worthwhile assignment in an English class for middle or high school students would be to have them write their obituary.  As the words spilled out of their mouth, I was shocked and horrified that this professor would ask mere children and teenagers to write their own obituary.  How mortifying!  I was greatly relieved when I learned that we would not have to personally complete this exercise ourselves.  And while I now understand the merit in the assignment, I much prefer asking my students to write positive, upbeat poetry, essays, and stories.  Nevertheless, I do think it is something we should not necessarily do, but we should all certainly think about.

Now before you get bent out of shape like I was originally, I do not want you to leave this blog or on the contrary, run and grab your pen and paper to begin writing.  Instead, I want you to look at the way you are living your life.  When you go to work, do you have a smile on your face?  Or is your face twisted up into a sour expression?  Do you greet people in the checkout lane at the grocery store, or do you give them a grimacing look because they got ahead of you in line by one millisecond?  And when you go to church on Sunday, do you have a smile on your face and greet everyone sweetly, only to get in the car on the way home and complain about the pastor’s sermon being too long?  Or do you go home and ponder what the pastor said, reading your Bible and studying the scriptures more carefully to get ready for the week ahead?  You see, living life isn’t just about getting up and going to work, eating dinner and going to bed, just to repeat the process the next day.  Life should be about living.

When a teacher’s students are asked to write an obituary for themselves, they must think about the way other people view their lives.  How do people see them?  What have they done that would be remembered?  And how have they treated their family, their friends, their neighbors, coworkers, pastor, and even strangers on the street?  These are the things people will remember.  Most will not even know if you remembered to feed the cat this morning, whether you came to the annual Christmas party last year, or if you donated money to a charity last month online.  They are going to remember how you act every single day of the year.  They will remember how you carry yourself on good days and bad.  They will recall whether or not you have a cheery disposition or a gloomy one.  They will remember if you lived a life for yourself or a life for Christ.

So the next time you are in the grocery store, be the person who sees someone with fewer items in their cart and offer to allow them to skip ahead of you in line.  Be the individual who smiles all of the time, regardless of what is going on around you.  Be the person who people want to be around.  Not because of the clothes you wear, the car you drive or the way you look, but because of the way you act.  Be the one who keeps their head held high, grateful for each and every new day, rain or shine.  Be the light in a world of darkness.  Be the change this world needs.  Let the joy of Jesus Christ shine forth in such a way that it is contagious!  Through your Christ-like example, people will be reminded that life isn’t about sweating the small stuff.  Life is about living.

In Christ’s Love,

Jennifer

Land of the Living

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased four sympathy cards for four different families who had lost loved ones.  There’s something a little unnerving and very sad about buying four sympathy cards in the same day.  As I stood there reading the verses in the cards, I wondered how those overly repeated words could possibly have any meaning at such a difficult time in these families’ lives.  Still, I hoped the thoughts and prayers being tucked inside the card would bring some form of comfort to their broken hearts.

That same week, we said goodbye to a family friend who was an elder in our church and first and foremost, a dear man of God.  Earlier this spring, I attended the memorial service for a fourteen year old girl.  Several friends have lost parents and other loved ones in recent months, while others are battling cancer and other illnesses.  And one thing I’ve noticed is that age doesn’t make a difference, ethnic background doesn’t play a part, and socioeconomic status is not a variable either.  No one is immune to death any more than they are immune to life.

Ecclesiastes 3:2 (NIV) says, there is “a time to be born and a time to die.”  As Christians, the Bible tells us that we do not have to grieve as those who have no hope (I Thessalonians 4:13 NIV).  Instead, we should rejoice because the end of our life on this earth is the beginning of something far greater.  For if we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, this world is just a waiting room, a temporary resting place, on our journey to our eternal home.  While some people may regard Earth as paradise, others do not find that it fits this description.

My dad often tells a profound story he heard on the radio broadcast of Dr. J. Allen Blair.  A man had lived for the Lord all of his life and was lying upon his death bed.  One of his friends sitting beside him said, “‘Farewell, brother.  I shall never see you again in the land of the living.’”  The dying man said, “‘You will see me again in the land of the living, for I am leaving the land of the dying.’”  You see, this man knew that this world is not a permanent dwelling place.  He knew there was something better waiting on the other side.

In the meantime, we need to enjoy life.  We need to embrace our family more, tell them we love them more, and spend time with them more.  We need to live more fully, laugh more heartily, and love more deeply.  I can tell you from experience, you will never regret an extra kind word spoken.  You will never be able to take too many photographs of someone dear to you.  And you will never feel like you spent too much time with someone you love.  Cherish life and never let a day go by without thanking God for another sunrise, another memory, another breath.

Live life like you are on a trip to somewhere you’ve never been but have always dreamed of going.  Don’t let the trials you face in life steal your joy.  The life we live down here may be full of heartache, sorrow, and despair.  But where we are going is full of jubilation and peace forevermore.  God’s Word tells us that we cannot comprehend what God has in store for us.  It is truly beyond the limits of our imagination.  And one day, when we have fought the good fight and finished our race, we will step through those gates of pearl and enter into the presence of the Lord God Almighty.  This, my friend, is when we will finally realize that we have been living in the land of the dying.  But we’re going to the land with no tears, no pain, and no death.  That’s Heaven.  That’s the Land of the Living.

In Christ’s Love,

Jennifer

What Do They See?

Have you ever truly thought about what people see when they look at you?  Do they see someone who is sorrowfully sad or joyfully happy?  Do they see someone who is unfriendly or friendly?  Do you portray someone who is discouraged or contented?  Do they see someone who is a dying disgrace to God’s love or a living testimony of God’s love?

In life, we encounter many obstacles.  There are times when no peace can seemingly be found.  It is in these moments of complete hopelessness, though, that we need to cling on to the hand of God even tighter than before.  He always provides the peace that may seem so elusive.  He is the Prince of Peace.

As Christians, we still encounter trials.  These trials come in many forms.  Even in these times when we are tested, we must stand firm.  The Bible consistently uses the phrase “stand firm.”  We need to stand strong when Satan comes through with his deceptive storms and powerful winds.  We are not to waiver, but to stand strong in the Lord.

Furthermore, we need to remember that we are living testimonies of the saving grace of Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of the world.  When you are at work, do coworkers see your testimony?  Or do you become frustrated easily because someone has not met their deadline, delaying the completion of your own daily tasks?  When you sit in the pew at church, do the other members of the church see your testimony?  Or do you remain focused on the fact that the preacher has preached ten minutes past twelve, which will cause you to lose ten minutes of your afternoon naptime?

It may be true that we should not worry what “they” think.  However, we do need to worry about what God thinks.  How many times have you disappointed our Heavenly Father?  Did you ever skip church, cheat, use inappropriate language, or lie about something or someone?  When was the last time you took five minutes out of your busy schedule to thank Him for waking you in the morning?

One Sunday morning in a small church in Western North Carolina, I had the privilege of hearing a precious man of God deliver his testimony in song.  This gentleman did not seem to care what “they” saw when they looked at him, but at the same time, his living testimony of God’s faithfulness shined for all to see.

Slowly, he ambled up to the platform with some much-needed assistance, as his physical body was visibly not what it once had been.  He stood there, open and vulnerable, and humbly started to sing.  His stance was one that seemed as if he was holding his hands out in front of him, as if reaching up to the Lord as a child would reach up to their father to receive a loving embrace.  The song he chose to sing was “Because He Loved Me.”  He wasn’t concerned with stage presence.  He didn’t worry about anything.  He just sang.

Chills ran up and down my spine.  Goosebumps covered my arms.  There were no musical accompaniments.  There were no special lighting effects.  He was not wearing a designer suit.  He did not introduce the song.  He did not even make eye contact with the audience.  Yet, it was one of the most anointed performances I had ever witnessed.

I had never met this man.  I had never spoken with him.  Nevertheless, through this one song, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was one of the saints of God.  I was completely reassured, that while I have no guarantee that I will see him again on this old earth, I know that I will see him one sweet day in Heaven, worshiping at the throne of God.

This older man does not know of the profound impact he had on my life.  His living testimony reached across the sanctuary and extended beyond the doors of the church.  We should all follow his example and strive to be living testimonies of God’s love.  It doesn’t take fancy clothes.  It doesn’t take renowned fanfare.  It doesn’t take any additional trappings.  All it takes is an individual who is willing to be used by God.

Are you willing to be a living testimony?  Can you reach out to others, using the abilities God has given you?  Do you want others to see Jesus in you?  Step out on faith today.  Share a smile.  Encourage someone.  Spread the joy of the Lord.  Make a difference in the lives of those around you.  I challenge you to let others see a living testimony in your life today!

In Christ’s Love,

Jennifer