It has been a while since I wrote anything on the blog, partly because I have been a bit busy but its been an amazing month so far. I believe there are seasons in our lives that God teaches us different things and for me this month after picking up a book called " Crazy love" I have been learning what it really means to love my God with all my heart, my mind and my soul and loving my neighbor as myself. So allow me to share some of the things I have been learning:
Funny how we make so many plans for our future, probably because we are expected to because one of the things that will determine as a young person that you are focused is if you are able to answer the question. "Where do you see yourself in five years?". The thing is our lives are so fragile, we are here today and gone the next day. I could die even before I finish this post or you could die before you finish reading it. Indulge me for a while and think about this:
What would people say about you once you are gone? Once they place you 6 feet under? Will they try to come up with adjectives just because we are told to respect the dead or will they have good things to say because of how you lived?
Just think about it.....how does your life look like? are we so caught up chasing our dreams that we forget that this life, me and you and everything in it is temporary and only God is eternal. Lets take an example: If you are given an option of choosing a job that only guarantees you employment for 3 months or choosing a job that will allow you to be employed for 5 years...well you might say it depends but most people will go for the one that offers 5 years. So why are we able to make that pick so easily but often times in this life we choose what is temporary to what is eternal?
Mathew 6: 19-21Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What am I getting at? When Christ came on this earth He showed us the best example of loving God and loving our neighbors and left us the mandate to do the same...
What does it mean? It means everything in this life does not matter if we do not love others, meaning we might chase after things on this earth but in the end we will end up empty .
So when you are gone will people say you were the perfect example of God's love on this earth? Meaning did we put other people's needs before ours or were we just concerned about ourselves? Meaning did we care for the homeless, orphans and poor or were we so caught up in our lives to notice? Meaning did we ever purposefully look for ways to be a blessing to others or were we more concerned about what we would get from others?
When we leave this earth what will matter is what we stored up in heaven and not on this earth... what will matter is how many lives we changed.....what will matter is how we treated those that the world rejected.....what will matter is how much of ourselves we denied to give to others....in the end all that will matter is how much we lived obeying the commandments to Love our God with all our hearts, mind and soul and loving our neighbors as ourselves. So the most important question to answer is "What will people say when you are gone?"
Allow me to share a poem I found in the book:
SINCE I HAVE MY LIFE BEFORE ME
by Brooke Bronkowski
I'll live my life to the fullest. I'll be happy. I'll brighten up. I will be more joyful that I have ever been. I will be kind to others . I will loosen up. I will tell others about Christ. I will go on adventures and change the world. I will be bold and not change who I really am. I will have no troubles but instead help others with their troubles.
You see, I will be one of those people who live to be history makers at a young age. Oh, I will have moments, good and bad, but I will wipe away the bad and only remember the good. In fact that's all I remember, just good moments, nothing in between, just living my life to the fullest. I will be one of those people who go somewhere with a mission, an awesome plan, a world-changing plan, and nothing will hold back. I'll set an example for others, I will pray for direction.
I have my life before me. I will give others the joy I have and God will give me more joy. I will do everything God tells me to do. I will follow the footsteps of God. I will do my best.
The girl who wrote this died when she was 14 years old and during her funeral, nearly 15000 people attended it and atleast 200 students gave their lives to Christ that day. She lived the kind of life that all of us are meant to live. Always remembering that our lives are fragile and the only day that matters is today and the only thing that matters today is living our lives for Christ and not ourselves, to live beyond ourselves and live for what is eternal.
So what will people say about you when you are gone?
