Life Is Fragile, Handle It with Care

I learned of two wonderful women who passed on from this world this last week. One happened to be the charismatic wife of my first boss in ministry; the other was a well-loved, respected and beautiful individual who graced our community here in Cape May County.
Like many other possessions, time is something we Americans forever take for granted. In our culture, too many of us never give a second thought about conserving water as we let it constantly run while brushing our teeth or taking a shower.
If we called home on many other neighborhoods of this planet where water is a cherished commodity and not flowing in a never-ending supply, we surely would not be so flippant and careless about its use.
We treat time in much the same manner and forget that it keeps ticking away, and nobody is given carte blanche when it comes to cheating the clock and calendar.
Why does it more often than not take a tragedy for us to wake up to the immensity of the gift that every day we are given by the Lord above really is?   
Life, this side of Heaven, is so fragile and fleeting no matter how many hours and days we may accumulate in life’s ledger. Our hearts can testify over and over again to the intense brokenness and sadness that we feel when someone who occupied such a large part of our soul for so long is now no longer available to us in the manner that we long for.
And while we can celebrate the truth, especially when we know without a shadow of a doubt, that our beloved has graduated to Glory and entered into the arms of Jesus; deep down inside we still ache because our arms are now empty, and our ears are now void of that infectious laugh and that encouraging voice that graced the soundtrack of our lives for such a long time.
And the weight of the wait for reunion now begins and because of the magnitude of the manner of the legacy left behind with us, we will still hear their voice in the echoes of our memories.
We sense their presence in the way and the where we walk. And if the deceased happened to be one of our parents, even when we look in the mirror, for a moment we do a double take because it is without a doubt that we see our Mom and Dad’s faces in the reflection looking back at us.
I try to make it a conscience point to make sure I say, “thank you” and “I love you,” often. I also make no apology in openly and publicly sharing my faith in Jesus because my prayer is that many others will taste forever because of my investment of a few hours, a few days, a few weeks, months and even years in the lives that God has placed within my sphere of influence.
The older I get, the soberer I am about keeping relationships a priority even if I tend to move a little slower or do things a little more reflectively; the reality is that I will never stop loving because I will never stop being loved. With hugs and tears and smiles too; I pray you will give a sincere hug to everyone who comes across your path today.
One of the joys of living in a small town like ours is the privilege to get to know the many wonderful people that walk and share space with you and touch your heart in positive and powerful ways.
I never had much hair to cut but I was a regular at Sam’s Barber Shop, and I met Sally long before she ventured out on her own. She always shared her heart and her life as she worked her craft to perfection.
I thank God that there are so many more friends than strangers in our midst, and I am blessed even as I hurt for the family because you can’t ever replace a loved one.
You just keep putting one foot in front of the other and with faith in God and the support of your family and friends; you try to get life right before you get left behind.
Time is not necessarily a healer but more a revealer of who and what you live for anyway. If what you are presently consumed with is incapable of loving you back, it is time to choose a new object for your affection.
So what legacies are you presently overseeing the construction of that you will someday leave behind as a testimony of the fact that your participation as a resident on Earth was worth the effort?
Do you invest your full attention in communication? Do you put your best foot forward while you walk the highways and the byways?
Are you saying what needs to be articulated while you still have the audience at hand? Have you made proper arrangements for what happens when you leave this world behind?
Too many people spend more time making a shopping list than they do over carefully reflecting on where they will spend eternity. I do believe that God so loved this world that he gave his only Son that whosoever believes would not perish but have everlasting life.
What do you believe because it certainly will impact on how you behave.
So I will keep on using things and loving people and take a chance on love over playing it too safe and being alone.
I know that not everybody will return the affection, and some will even dislike me without even making or taking the time to get to know me. Sure it stings, but we can’t let the bad apples keep us from enjoying life’s delicious fruit.
This article will have hit its mark if as soon as you finish reading it, you will pick up the phone or send out an email and remind somebody special exactly what makes them so.
Life is fragile, so please handle it with the utmost of prayer and care. If you do, regret won’t be the dominating emotion at journey’s end.
Remember that the greatest of these is love and don’t keep that thought locked away but ready to give away again and again.