This sign hangs proudly on my hallway wall and every time I go to my living room or my kitchen, I look at it and sometimes even read it.
The past few days, I have been on a quest of getting my family affairs in order. I have been writing long letters to my husband, my children, and others in my family to say what I would want them to know if I was to leave this world tomorrow. in addition, I typed a five page document to list all our names, Social Security numbers, home, auto, and life insurance policy information, etc. Those of you that know me, know that there is no estate to pass to my children, so the life insurance is as good as it gets. I keep reminding my children that our legacy to them is a spiritual legacy, not a financial legacy (they are not amused!)
In doing this process, I face my deepest feelings of love and total admiration for my family. But I am also forced to face that I sometimes act and respond in ways that do not speak of that deep love and admiration. To share a real and raw idea of what I am talking about…here is a partial glimpse of my final words written to my best friend, soul mate, and husband...(meant for him to read if I die before him)
“You deserved more unconditional love, more tenderness, and more “back rubs” than I gave to you, but you must never doubt the depth of my love for you and my respect for who you are as a man. I have never known a man that I revere more than you; you are my best friend and my soul mate. Other than Jesus, no one in this life excels as you do in my eyes.”
Why are these words so much deeper and loving than my day to day actions? If we are to live life now, and love those we love now, because we are not promised tomorrow, then why?
Ecclesiastes 3:1-5
1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
There is a season for all things in the Lord. But here is the truth written in red by the blood of Jesus Christ on relationships and life. In Christ, every moment of every day is the season for love, for God is love, and it is to be lived in deed, not just in final words when we die!
Matt 22:37-40
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
1 John 3:18
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
James 4:13-17
13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."
16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Sisters, Jesus’ heart on this often complex matter is “that if we want to truly live, we must love NOW, because we do not know if we have tomorrow.
Back to the wall hanging that I read every day in my home…
LIVE YOUR LIFE NOW, NOT TOMORROW…if we are truly going to live our lives now, we must love NOW. For life in Christ is to love as He has loved, and the two are inseparable!
Oh Lord, Forgive me for not always loving NOW.
I need You to enable me to truly live and to truly love till death do I part!
Once again a real blessing to read! Thx!!!
ReplyDeleteTammy very real and beauifully said words are mean nothing if they are not followed by action we need to show the love of Christ each and every day especially to those closest to us thanks for the reminder i love reading this blog keep going girl love Ruthie
ReplyDeleteI can remember as far back as my early childhood my precious grandmother "Minnie Iola" it seemed never made a comment regarding an event or commitment she might be contemplating without prefacing it with "LORD WILLIN" Out to dinner, to the Doctor, Church on Sunday , even doing the dishes..If the Lord was willin she would do it however it was up to him..
ReplyDeleteAs a young person I would chuckle to myself. Along through the years that recollection of almost being able to hear her out loud has stuck with me. The memory would serve as comfort to me when I might be feeling like I just Cant go any further . I am always able to keep my spirits up as I think of her . It was said with such conviction and when I think of her and the life she stood for and the faith she had in her Lord and King I am in awe of her and the legacy she left for me and our family...
She had nothing tangible to leave me or anyone else for that matter. I found a little old box of memory filled ,love sprinkled birthday and anniversary cards written from my Granddad to her in years gone by. Oh how I so tenderly clutched them to my heart like they were pure gold. There was a little wooden handled tack hammer that was Grandpas that I quickly claimed when I found it under the kitchen sink.
I use it to this day and it is one of my most treasured possessions. Just ask Jim ,the one time he took it to the tool shed. He will not soon forget that day.
As my mom and her only sister and the 4 granddaughters all sort of swept gently and tenderly through her belongings we could almost hear her voice saying things like "there are fresh homemade Peanut butter cookies in that box on the fridge" Ya'll get em down and we'll enjoy them tonight. Its funny how those moments stick in your mind. They have happened so often you can almost swear its real...
None of us really knew what to expect that afternoon but what a sweet time we had remembering an event or celebration that had taken place in her tiny rented cottage in Covina ,California .We shared many a tear and chuckle that day. Later in the evening her remaining sisters came to join us and we all had a very wonderful and memorable time recalling just how “Minnie had led her life and loved us all so now and in the moment. She never acted like there was any time like the present to share with all of us. She never took anything or time for granted. ..
Treasures were the little “things” we each held dear . ..Priceless in our eyes…. however the absolute Gem and true gift my sweet Grandma left to me was the one she left imprinted on my heart. 'Lord Willin"..Now I could stop here but if you know me and love me you know there’s just one thing more…
I know that God has a special plan for me as well and I will have somewhere down the road as he sees fit (that was another jewel) the opportunity to pass a little piece along as well.
I pray for the live and love now foundation that Tammy so sweetly shared here to be a strong part of who I am as I travel along this old road of life..I pray for the wisdom to practice and walk out what the Lord is Willing to bring to my time here on earth.
The days seem to fly by now as this life spirals onward..and hopefully upward.. ..and that still comes as a surprise to me. I guess that will likely never change. Living life, Loving Now…Lord Willin I’ll get it right..
James 4:15
Thanks for sharing Jeanene...precious memories and precious thoughts.
ReplyDeleteTammy
Isn't it amazing how difficult it is for us to live how we really feel? I know it is for me anyway. Life seems to be too full of unwanted distractions. Thank you for the reminder to love and to live today.
ReplyDelete