Last Thursday I traveled to Atlanta to pay my respects to my friend that I blogged about in this post last Sunday night.
I’ll have to be honest—I wrestled with his death—HARD. I’m 36 years old—he was 32. If I had been 66 or 76 and he had been 62 or 72 then it might have been more understandable. I did not say easier…but understandable.
BUT…he was 32…and stepped out of this life and into the next.
I’ve been thinking a lot about life since last week…and I have made the decision that life is way too short for me to not get the most out of it. I have an appointment with death (we all do)...I will not be late for that appointment, nor will I miss it…yet I have no idea what time the appointment is set for…so I had better be ready.
When it comes to having a right relationship with God…I am so ready. I received Christ on May 27, 1990 and I know He lives in me…BUT…you see, He said in John 10:10 that I can have an abundant life while here on this planet…and I want that.
SO…I am in the middle of evaluating a ton and making some life changing decisions.
I don’t want to live a life full of regrets.
I don’t want to live a life that causes me to weep in front of my family in 30 years and apologize to them for not being there.
I don’t want to live a life where I am controlled by critics and naysayers.
I don’t want to live a life where I fear what man may think more than what God may think.
I don’t want to live a life that is not marked by generosity.
I don’t want to live a life in which my wife considers the church to be my mistress.
I don’t want to live a life that causes my daughter to hate God and the church.
I don’t want to live a life that allows those closest to me to disrespect me because I am not real.
I don’t want to live a life in which I have no fun because I am all work and no play.
I don’t want to live a life in which I look back and HATE the man I have become.
I don’t want to live a life in which church becomes normal and routine and the person of Jesus becomes boring and dull.
Life is short…and I want to LIVE. I have no idea how much longer I’ve got left…but as long as I have a breath in me I am going to try and live a life that completely honors God…and really pisses religious people off. (See—it’s working!)
Life is too short for me to be anyone other than who God made me to be.
AND…I am evaluating everything and getting ready to make some serious changes in the way I live and lead that I think will definitely serve to advance the kingdom…and won’t cause me to burn out trying to start a fire that has actually already been burning for over 2,000 years.
Life is short—if you knew you had six months left what changes would make? We’ve only got one shot to get this right…