Tending the Gift of Life

            Day by day, we take life for granted. The sun rises in the east and sets in the West. Day after day, this reality never changes. Spring gives birth to summer; summer gives way to fall; fall surrenders to winter—year after year, eon after eon the seasons come and go never changing. Taking days and seasons for granted, life takes on a certain monotony.

            Sometimes our lives conform to a similar rhythm. We go off to work in the morning and return home in the evening. Monday through Friday, we punch the clock and meet production. There are bills to pay, planes to catch, and children to herd. Images of wonderful weekends and vacations dance in our heads. The daily rhythm, in time, feels like a grind.

            It appears that we become lost in this monotonous grind until something tragic happens—a sudden and unanticipated death of someone we love, an unexpected diagnosis, an untimely loss, a terrorist attack. Shaken awake by the tragedy, we realize just how wonderful and precious life is. A tragic event highlights what we know to be significant. Through our numbness, we realize that there are some truly valuable persons and things in our lives that we need to nurture and protect.

            Sometimes we need to remind ourselves how wonderful and brief life is. Even if we live into our nineties, when we look back, life seems so short. As Biblical people, we should remind ourselves of those words written by James: “. . . you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” [Revised Standard Version, James 4:14]  Failing to embrace the precious moment, we let life slip from us. When it is gone, we find ourselves wrestling with regrets. Regrets from the past can even rob the joy of the present.

            Perhaps there are some things we can do to help us stay focused on the truly significant as we appear briefly on the stage of life. First, let’s remember that life is gift. We receive a wonderful gift anew each day. When God chose to create, he chose to share with us the wonder of being alive as he is alive. It is wonderful to be alive! Being alive, we can love, laugh, touch, care, and share. Each day, no matter how we rise to meet it, we should receive the day as a gift.

            Realizing that life is gift, we should be ready to say, “I’m sorry.” If life is a precious gift, we will want to redeem every relationship we might have wounded—I’m sorry this misunderstanding has gone on so long. I’m sorry for the words I spoke in anger? I’m sorry for the distance that has grown between us. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I neglected you. I’m sorry I did not take time to listen to you. I’m sorry—so sorry. Please forgive me.

            Embracing the wonderful gift of life, we should be quick to say, “Thank you.” We have been the beneficiaries of someone’s generosity and care more times than we can count. Therefore, we should be ready to acknowledge the gifts of grace we receive from others with a quick thank you. Thank you for caring for me. Thank you for remembering me. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for staying with me. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you!

            Remindful of the fragility of life, we should be anxious to say, “I love you.” There are significant persons in our lives—people we love deeply. Sometimes the people we love the most are the people we most take for granted. Often we assume that others know of our deep love for them. There may be no more powerful words in the entire universe than “I love you.”

            Let’s embrace the gift of life and deepen its meaning for us by tending to it. If life is like a garden, let’s not let ours become overgrown with weeds. Let’s tend the garden, so the flowers may bloom. Let’s tend to our lives with words that heal, express gratitude, and affirm our love. Let’s choose to live life as a gift to be shared with everyone we meet. Let’s awaken each day to thank God Almighty for sharing with us this wonderful aliveness!  jamie

[I wrote these words about a year ago. They seem to have the power to speak again. Therefore, I offer them again to you hoping they point to a wisdom we might embrace.]