Look for the Pony!

The secret in life is often found in how one handles situations that don't turn out well. I have a saying that my wife has heard me say often when things don't go the way I hoped or planned. I smile and tell her, "I am looking for the pony."  The saying came from a story I came across years ago.  

A set of identical twins were being studied for their behavior. One was continually positive and joyful while his identical twin had been negative and depressed from birth. The identical twins were placed in isolated environments to study and find the reason for their opposite behavior. The negative and depressed twin was placed in a new playground furnished with all the newest toys and games on the market. The positive joyful twin was placed in an old rundown barn with nothing but horse manure in empty stalls.

The negative and depressed twin sat motionless on the playground and never played with the first toy. After several hours of no play the psychiatrists went in and asked why he sat still for so long and never played with any tows. He replied, “Well they were all new, I figured I might break something then I would be blamed since I was the only one here so why bother.”

His positive brother meanwhile was being observed running wildly through the barn from stall to stall, slipping on manure. It seemed that the more manure he found the faster he ran and wider he smiled. The psychiatrists decided the twin was showing signs of emotional disturbance so they went in and stopped his frantic running from stall to stall. As he was grinning and covered in manure, they asked him what he was doing and why he seemed to be having so much fun. He smiled and said, “With this much manure there has got to be a pony somewhere and I am going to find it!”

Moral of the story; Much of what we get out of life has to do with our attitude. Many are surrounded by blessings yet they ignore them. There will also be times when life will tumble in. It is always best to “Look for the Pony!”

 

The last day that I will be 70 years old

 Today is the last day that I will be 70 years old.  There are certain ages that seem to capture our attention more than others.  I remember my 15^th birthday because I could get my driver’s license learner’s permit.  I remember turning 18 because that meant that I could vote, get drafted & buy beer.  It wound up not being such a big deal.  I didn’t get drafted or buy beer however I voted in the presidential election for the first time in my life but the president I voted for is the only one in history to quit.  Oh well!  Other ages had some significance here and there.  I never really thought about getting older until I turned 50.  Living half a century got my attention.  This was my ‘wake-up call’ that my years of life were rapidly moving along.  Turning 65 was noteworthy because I qualified for Medicare.  But 70…there is a Psalm that deals with the 70^th birthday.  The 90^th Psalm is a prayer of Moses that’s probably the oldest Psalm in the Bible.  Moses lived long past 70, in fact the Bible tells us that Moses died at the age of 120.  However, he wrote in Psalm 90:10; “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.’  This is an interesting observation for someone for whom 70 years is just a little past the halfway point in his life.  However, after living 70 years, he came to the realization that even what we consider a long life is actually brief for the days ‘quickly pass and we fly away’ and they are filled with ‘trouble and sorrow’. 

It may have been that 70 for Moses was similar to my 50.  Perhaps this was the time when Moses first began to grasp how quickly life seems to pass.  Each of us has a point when we realize that our time on earth is brief and fleeting.  One day my grandmother put pen to paper and reflected on her life as she pondered memories, both good and bad, of her life.  She was known for her writing talent.  I inherited the writing bug from her.  My cousin compiled a collection of her writings in a book that her children and grandchildren continue to treasure.  Today I refer to a particular writing where she looked back at the life she had seen and experienced thinking, as did Moses, how even in the best times there is always trouble and sorrow.  She wrote about how she hated thinking of leaving this life.  She was a woman of great faith and knew Heaven waited but she felt impressed to speak of the blessings and difficulties she had seen and the loved ones she would miss.  She was 65 when she put her feelings on paper.  She didn’t know that she would live another 33 years until the age of 98 but this seemed to be a time of significance in the way she viewed life from that point on. 

Moses may have been at a similar place in his thoughts and observations about life.  A couple of verses later he declares the importance of knowing that our days of life are numbered.   Like it or not, there is a specific number of days to each life.  We don’t know the number of days we will live but each of us has a certain number of days to our life and then it will end.  I often have said that I would like to know the number of my days.  As I approach the last few days, I would do nothing but eat Oreos and ice cream.  Obviously, that is a foolish way to look at making the most of one’s last days.  It would be much wiser to spend those days enjoying time with loved ones.  And since we don’t know the number of the last day it would be wise to live each day as fully as if it could be the last time you will be with loved ones…because it could. 

Moses states in verse 12, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”   A heart of wisdom comes from knowing that our days are numbered.  It matters not that we don’t know the number of our days.  Realizing that our number of days are limited should make us realize that we need to make the most of each day and not waste any time.  The days can’t be reclaimed once they pass.  Usually, we don't number our days; we number our years. When you have a birthday and someone asks how old you are, you tell them your age in the number of years. But true spiritual wisdom comes from numbering our days, because we live a day at a time.  We don’t know that we will have tomorrow but we know that we have today.  God has ordained that the entire universe functions a day at a time.  Jesus taught us to pray for God to, “Give us this day our daily bread" (Matt. 6:11).  

A heart of wisdom lives each day as if it could be the last…because it could be.  We may realize that our days are numbered but we don’t know when that last number/day will arrive.  It could be years from now or moments away.  Therefore, we need to treat each moment as precious, fragile and fleeting.  That means treating everyone we encounter each day in the same fashion.  We never know if this will be the last day we will have with them.  If You knew today would be the last day you would have with a loved one or friend, wouldn’t you make that day/moment as positive as possible?  Who would want to have their last day with anyone as a day of anger or frustration?  So, since we don’t know the number of our last day, or that of anyone else, a heart of wisdom leads us to make the most of every opportunity to make the day as happy and pleasant as possible.  A heart of wisdom treats each day and each person we encounter that day as cherished and valued. 

As I approach my 25,915^th day (71 years x 365 days…I may be a product of the Mississippi public school system but I can still do basic multiplication…with a calculator), I am going to try my best to make the most of each day.  Wouldn’t the world be better if we all did that?  A heart of wisdom teaches me to love, appreciate and treasure each moment and each person I encounter as I number each precious day. 

We also live by God's wisdom. Wisdom is knowing and having discernment, so that we can apply the truth of the Word of God at the right time, in the right way, with the right motive. Wisdom comes from the Word of God and from getting to know Him and ourselves better.

Wisdom in ancient Hebrew picture language means one who is skilled at separating good from bad. So, how does one become skilled at separating good and bad? By studying and applying the Word of God. In the Bible, God identifies good and bad behaviors and beliefs; our challenge is to find out what God has to say on a matter and align our beliefs and behaviors with the Bible, thus becoming wise.

Considering God's righteous anger and wrath (Psalm 90:11), Moses provides an example of sensible prayer. He asks God for wisdom to account for our time. Time flies, life is uncertain, fragile, and fleeting and God judges sin. It is important, therefore, to value the moments and days He has given us. The best was to value the day is to live each moment as if it could be our last…because it could.  Live each moment being grateful for that moment of life right now, no matter what it holds.  Learn, grow and persevere knowing that whatever the moment holds, good or bad, it will “quickly pass and we fly away.”  Do all you can to help those around you enjoy the moment or day with love and harmony for one another.  We cannot know what tomorrow will bring (Proverbs 27:1), so we ought to dedicate today and every day to the Lord.  That is what I plan to do on my last day to be 70 years old.  Then if I wake in the morning, I will repeat that plan for my first day to be 71 years old and following.  Hope you have a great day, no matter what number it is for you!

Savor and enjoy each day!

 People search far & wide for purpose & meaning in life.  Some seek to find purpose or meaning in relationships, success, power.  Often accomplishing one’s dream can lead to disappointment as it does not fill the void of real purpose and meaning one was seeking.  Others may give up becoming hopeless, depressed and seek to escape by numbing the depression becoming addicted to various escape avenues that lead to a downward spiral.  Oscar Wilde once said; “In this world there are two tragedies.  One is not getting everything one wants; the other is getting it.” 

As I am winding down on the 70^th year of my time on this planet I find myself thinking more and more about what I have done with those years and what I should do with whatever time I have left.  I learned how delicate and tenuous life can be when I was 49.  A fluke medical discovery, that I consider divine intervention, led to two major life-saving surgeries.  My doctor told my wife; ‘this is usually discovered in the autopsy of a young man who appeared healthy but died suddenly’.  I wake everyday with the physical and emotional scars that lead me to the reality that I could have easily died 21 years ago.  I get up, even with the aches that come with being 70 and give thanks that I am still here.  Life is a gift, a precious and very fragile gift, don’t waste it or throw it away!

I spend a lot of time thinking on several scriptures.  First from the psalm of Moses, a man who knew about the ups and downs of life as much as anyone!  In Psalm 90:10-12 he writes; “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.  Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  Life in this ‘sin-scarred’ world truly has much trouble and sorrow.  However, we are reminded that our days are numbered.  We do not know the number of days we have but they pass quickly.  A “heart of wisdom” knows each day could be the last so as Apostle Paul reemphasized hundreds of years later in Ephesians 5:16-17; “Make the most of your time; because these are evil times. So do not be foolish but learn what the Lord wants you to do.”

I find that the best advice concerning the way to make the most of our time comes from the words of one who is historically known as possessing, perhaps, more wisdom than anyone who has ever lived; King Solomon.  He was not just a casual observer with comments.  He possessed the mental capacity, power and wealth to explore virtually every avenue available to man in seeking meaning and purpose to life.  He writes in Ecclesiastes 1:13; “I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!

He expounds on his qualifications and experiences of his journey in the first 11 verses of the second chapter; “I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless.  “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.  I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.  I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.  I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.  I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.  I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart.  I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.  I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

However, his search was not in vain as he gives us the following basic teachings for making the most of our days under the sun. 

1. Make & maintain good relationships.  He writes in chapter 4:9-12; “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.  I don’t think I will ever forget the first funeral I conducted.  I was still in seminary when a funeral director that I knew from our church asked if I would conduct a small service for a man who had no church affiliation but the family wanted a minister.  I knew nothing about the deceased except that he looked like he was in his 50’s and even after the funeral director had done his best one could tell that he had lived a hard life.  Counting myself, the deceased and the funeral director there were less than a dozen people attending the service.  Afterward the best dressed attendee shook my hand and thanked me saying; “I want to thank you for doing this.  I know you did not know him and honestly, we really didn’t know him well either.  However, he was a family member and I felt like he deserved a decent burial.”  What a sad lonely ending to life!  I also remember Rabbi Harold Kushner’s story of watching children building sand castle.  He could see that they were building too closely to the rising tide.  They barely finished their construction when the waves washed all their work away.  However, rather than being disappointed he watched them hold hands, laughing & running as waves came crashing destroying their labor.  This taught him that, ‘The castles we may build in life are temporary and may crumble but can laugh if we are holding hands.”  Make & maintain good relationships!
2. Solomon names many injustices and pain that can be part of life in this imperfect world.  He teaches us to accept pain and suffering as part of this life.  The human tendency is to avoid pain & suffering.  We try taking pills, having a drink, denial or isolate ourselves from people and situations that cause pain.  One cannot avoid pain & suffering and live in this unjust, sin-scarred world.   Only Dead people feel no pain!  Pain can actually be a way for God to teach.  Hebrews 2:10 says; “Everything belongs to God, and all things were created by his power. So God did the right thing when he made Jesus perfect by suffering, as Jesus led many of God's children to be saved and to share in his glory.”  Wow! Jesus was made perfect through suffering!  Pain and suffering are often signs to change the way you are living.  Rather than seeking to avoid pain and suffering it may be better to ask; “What is God trying to teach me in this situation?  What can I learn to do differently than will be beneficial?”
3. Live and savor each moment to its fullest potential.  The best life is not found seeking continuous excitement and is not made up of great events but daily, often small moments to be cherished.  I am again reminded of a story from Rabbi Kushner (Author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People & When All You Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough).  He interviewed an elderly woman asking her to look back and tell him what she would have done differently if she could live her life over.  She thought for a moment and said; “If I had it all to do over, I would eat more ice cream & less beans!”

Savor and enjoy each day!

Marking Time or Making the Most of Each Opportunity

 Over the years I have often made a practice of writing thoughts, feelings & observations.  It often helped me express, share and understand what God is teaching me in my journey on this planet.  At the end of each calendar year, I would often look back and journal thoughts, feelings, events, things learned and experienced during the past 365 days as a way to grow and prepare for the coming year (or for as much time as God would allow me to survive in the days ahead).  I tried to use this practice as a way to help me become more mature and improve as a person each year.  The jury may still be deliberating as they seek to reach to a clear decision on my maturity and improvement.  Anyway, as the number of years in the past accumulate, I have come to the following basic conclusions (Careful they may apply to you also).

First: GOD'S HAND WAS WITH ME ALL MY LIFE (even when I did not realize it…often and especially when I did not realize it!). As I look back over my life, I see God’s hand clearly guiding me, preserving, protecting me and leading me (often in spite of myself). That does not mean I have not stumbled and struggled but His grace and protecting hand has kept me from totally messing up my life and He is continually working to redeem me for His purpose as well as use the experiences in my past to honor Him today when I follow and trust Him.  Romans 12: 1 & 2 tells me (and you also) to offer myself completely to God not conforming to the ways of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind.  In other words, the more I/we give myself/ourselves completely to Him, thinking, seeing and living life different from the ‘ways of the world’; I/we will then be more able see and understand His will for my/our life.  I/we will then also see to a greater extent how He has been with me/us for this time and His purpose and will.

Second: I AM A UNIQUE CREATION. You are as well, but since I am the one writing this and the previous couple of sentences may have been laborious with all the ‘I/we’ stuff, I will try to make my point using the first person and you can apply it to yourself as you desire.  OK, back to me…There are times when I feel out of step with the rest of the world.  I often tell my wife that I know that I know that I am weird and sometimes I feel as if I am on the wrong planet (I wonder why she never argues with that statement…Hmmm).  However, Psalm 139:14 tells me (and you); “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”. I am not an accident of birth.  I have traveled to 5 of the 7 continents and have met and encountered a large number of people in my years.  I have never met or seen anyone like me!  Thank goodness, huh?  I also have never met or seen anyone quite like you!  There is a divine design behind His creation of me, and each one of us.  That same Psalm tells me that God 'knit me together in my mother’s womb'. There is also a divine purpose and plan behind my creation.  I was not created just to bump around, pay taxes and die.  The scriptures give us other examples of how God has a divine purpose and plan for us before we are born with the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5) and the Apostle Paul (Galatians 1:15).  That is why, as I look back over my years, I can see that not only was His hand apparent in guiding me, preserving, protecting and leading me but He purposely created me to be who and where I am today for His purpose as I submit to Him.  He created me (and you) uniquely for this time and purpose!  No one can do what God intentionally created you to do!  You were “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God for His unique purpose for you in this time and place in history!

Finally: LIFE IS FRAGILE AND PASSES QUICKLY.  I can’t believe that I got this old this quickly.  James 4:14 describes life as a mist.  It is truly fragile.  A mist is something that is frail and can disappear in a second. Twenty-one years ago, God miraculously preserved me by leading in a very unusual manner to the discovery of multiple aneurysms that could have easily ruptured and killed me.  My mother died from an undetected brain aneurysm that ruptured in the middle of a conversation with my father.  She said she had a sudden sharp pain in her head and collapsed in her chair and was gone.  She was 68 and in great health.  The doctor told me that this type of discovery was usually found in the autopsy as they were seeking to discover why this seemingly healthy man in his late 40’s suddenly dropped dead.  He told me that God evidently still had work for me to do.  I KNOW life is fragile and needs to be handled with care.  That is why I seek to make the most of each moment.  I do not know what will happen tomorrow.  I do not have tomorrow promised.  I may not be able finish writing this blog…the suspense is overwhelming.  However, I have THIS moment!  I need to make the most of this moment.  This is why God still has me here!

Now, I think I can assume correctly that these conclusions do not apply only to me.  Some people mark time while others choose to do as Ephesians 5:16 guides us to make the most of every chance you get.  Years ago, I watched an interview with Colonel Jack Jacobs, Medal of Honor recipient, who, even in his later years, was known to live an adventurous life.  He said; “I believe in getting the most out of life because I am going to be dead a long time.”  No matter what one’s faith and belief about life after death may be, this statement hit me as a reminder that this is the only opportunity we have here in THIS life; let us make the most of it!

A Little Happy

 Yesterday I had a medical procedure for which I had to be anesthetized.  All went well but since I was under anesthesia for the procedure Cathy had to drive me home.  On the way home she told me, “I made a new friend today.”  There was a young man in the waiting room with her.  While many will remain quiet and stay to themselves in those situations, Cathy will seem to tune in to those who may need a word of encouragement.  He was there while his mother was being treated at the same time as my procedure.  She began talking to the young man discovering that he was the only child of his widowed mother and felt a need to give him a ‘little happy’.  Next week we will celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary.  Over these 40 plus years I have learned to expect her ‘making new friends’ in various situations and someone a ‘little happy’.

That term and practice of giving someone a ‘little happy’ originated with my mother who was a lot like my wife when it came to having a compassionate heart. Mother would often slip a $20 bill in her letters and cards.  These were the days before texts and email when people actually mailed letters and cards to loved ones.  She would also give her grandchildren a ‘little happy’ when visiting.  Cathy told me of her feeling the need to encourage the young man in the waiting room so she gave him the ‘little happy’.  I had given her my wallet before the procedure so she smiled and told me that I also gave him a ‘little happy’.   

The Bible tells us that each person who is born of the Spirit receives Spiritual gifts.  The gifts are identified in Romans 12, I Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4.  A Spiritual gift is an extraordinary power or ability given by the Holy Spirit.  For example, I was given the Spiritual gift of prophecy or proclamation.  That is the only way to explain how a shy young man who sweated bullets through his required 3-minute speech in Mrs. Brewer’s high school speech class and later had a 40-year career preaching the gospel on 5 of the 7 continents.  I was always truly amazed at the end of each sermon that it had actually happened.  One can ‘sharpen the ax’ or improve the gift(s) but if God had not given me the gift, then all the speech, theology and preaching classes in the would not have produced the gift.  It is imperative for each of us to discover our gift(s) and put them to that special use serving God and helping our fellowman.  It is also important to allow the gifts to be practiced and used freely by those who possess each gift.  That is how God allows us to be His hands, feet and voice in this world.  We practice the gift but it comes from God. 

Now back to Cathy.  If one were to Google the Spiritual gifts of ‘Helps’ or ‘Mercy’ a picture of Cathy would pop up.  We all should seek to help and have mercy on others but the possessor of these gifts possesses a special certain God given ‘radar’ to see a need then apply mercy and help.  I learned this about her early on in our marriage as I was looking after to my new wife while she was in the hospital.  During our first year of marriage, she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome.  Diagnosing these diseases required a series of unpleasant tests…as you can imagine.  After several days in the hospital undergoing a battery of unpleasant tests our oncologist came into the room making his early morning rounds saying, “How are you feeling today?”  She replied, “I’m OK but how are you?  You seem tired.”  He lowered his clipboard, took a breath, and replied; “I had a long and difficult night.  I lost a patient.  Thank you so much for asking!”  Although she was the patient, she was aware that her doctor needed some compassion and mercy after one of his patients died during the night. 

So, I have learned over these 42 years not to ask “who are you buying the muffins for?” when we are grocery shopping.  I didn’t notice the homeless person in the parking lot…but she did.  Or when she keeps the muffins or cookies in the grocery bag and has me stop at the home of the 94-year-old widow who lives up the street.  Or when she gets to the car and reaches in her purse or asks me for some cash, I realize I did not notice the ‘special needs’ young man with whom she talked with while he bagged our groceries.  Or recently when she bought $3 worth of tomatoes from the older man who was braving the dog days of South Carolina heat selling vegetables from his garden on the side of the road.  I gave her $20 and she came back with no change.  They all needed ‘a little happy’. 

Practicing her gifts of helps and mercy also gives her ‘a little happy’ from God.  There is no joy better than knowing you are doing what God placed you on this planet to do.  It also does me good and gives me ‘a little happy’ to see her helping and applying mercy to others.   One of Mother Teresa's favorite texts in the Bible, which she often quoted to support her ministry to the poor, is; "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40).  Which, not surprisingly, is one of Cathy’s favorite verses as well. 

As you go about your life seek to discover that unique gift that God has given and blessed in your life and then freely practice being His voice, hands and feet.  We all have times when we can give or use ‘a little happy’!

The Big One

When we moved to the little village of Lugoff over 20 years ago I thought we could finish our work careers and retire here to a nice quiet life.  We were 30 minutes from Columbia, SC; the state capital, a city large enough to find most anything we wish to do.  We were in the middle of the small state of SC where we could drive a few hours to the north and enjoy the mountains, a few hours east for a Myrtle Beach getaway, or spend the same amount of time heading south for visits to Charleston (often listed as one of the top places to visit in the world), Hilton Head, or other beach island getaways.   Indeed, this seemed like a good place to settle.  Winters were mild and if you could tolerate the dog days of August, the summer was ok.  However, no one told me that we are right on top of a major earthquake fault line!

The first earthquake was December 27, 2021.  I was upstairs on the computer, as I am now.  I heard a loud boom, felt the house shake and thought someone drove a car into the house.  Since then, we have had 47 earthquakes in the last 6 months.  I have learned that this is called an ‘earthquake swarm’ and it is the most recorded quakes in the history of the state.  Many have been mild and not noticeable however June ended with a bang.  On June 26 at 1:31 am a magnitude 3.4 earthquake shook us from our sleep.  That was the strongest one yet…at that time.  The epicenter was about 4 miles from our house.  Not a good way to wake up.  Three days later, June 29 at 2:43 pm (you always remember the time), a 3.5 magnitude quake got our attention.  That was the strongest one yet…at that time!  Later that same day, 7:03 pm, we were shaken by a 3.6 magnitude earthquake.  That was the strongest one yet…so far!

Experts say that even though this is a historic ‘swarm’ it does not mean that the ‘big one’ is near.  However, those same experts admit that earthquakes cannot be predicted, only measured afterwards.  Thanks for the comforting information.  So much for settling into a quiet retirement in a small village. 

As a minister, I am used to questions.  Some are frivolous and fun such as, “Where did Cain get his wife?”  As you know the Bible teaches that the human race began with Adam & Eve who had two sons, Cain & Able.  Genesis 4:17 mentions Cain’s wife but there is no mention of who she is or where she came from.  So, the question, “Where did Cain get his wife?”  To which I love to reply, “I would tell you if I were Able!”  Some questions are obviously more serious and often affected by current events.  With the continued craziness of worldwide politics, violence and uncertainty in so many areas of life.  I am not surprised when often asked, “Are we living in the end times?”  To which, I fall back on all my years of study and theological training and shrug my shoulders.  Who knows?  Actually, that is the correct answer.  It’s the same one Jesus gave when asked the same question over 2000 years ago. 

The better way to live is not in fear of the unknown or unexpected but prepare for the day/time that the unknown or unexpected may happen.  That is done by living the best life loving your family, friends and fellowman each moment of each day.  That point was made to me in a very strong way 21 years ago as I was recovering from the first of two major surgeries needed to save my life.  Through a medical fluke (or divine providence) doctors discovered a large aneurysm leading to my right kidney and two leading to my left kidney and a rare renal artery disease.  Since an aneurysm killed my mother at the age of 68, the diagnosis got my attention.  I was told that I would need two separate surgeries because each surgery held the possibility of losing the kidney or other serious complications.  You can live with the loss of one kidney but not both.  The first surgery would be as soon as possible in June then I would need to recover well enough to have the second surgery in November.  The surgery was delicate and complex enough that I had to travel to another state for someone considered one of the best in the nation, possibly in the world for such surgeries.  That was step one in preparing for the unknown and unexpected.  Do all you can to be ready for any unexpected event.  In other words, be smart and buckle up!

Step two happened the night before the first surgery.  My family gathered with me in my room visited as long as possible.  We prayed together and they went to the motel for an early return the next morning for a long day in the waiting room for a surgery that would take at least 8 hours.  After they left, I was alone in the room and then I realized that I was not alone.  God promised several times in the Bible: “I will be with you always” and “I will never leave or forsake you!”  So, I decided to take advantage of those promises and have a visit with God…He didn’t have to observe visiting hours. 

I was 49 years old.  I told God that I would like to have a 50^th birthday…and more if possible but that was in His hands.  I thought of the things that I would still like to do.  However, if this was the ‘end times’ for me I realized that I had already lived a full and blessed life.  I was grateful for my wife and children and reviewed how blessed I was to have had them as well as the time with other family and friends.  After a good visit with just the two of us, since He had promised to stay with me always, I realized that although I had full confidence in my surgeon and his impressive credentials and ability; God would also be in the operating room with me.  The more we visited the calmer and more peaceful I felt.  After a while a nurse came and asked if I needed anything for anxiety to help me sleep.  Anxiety and sleeplessness were common before such serious life-threatening situations.  I smiled at her and told her, “No thank you, we are OK!”  She may have wondered about the “We” I was referring to but I think she knew. 

Obviously, I survived & had my 50^th birthday the next year.  Now 21 years later, after having my 70^th birthday, I continue to look back at my visit with Jesus the night before the first surgery.  I have a 25-inch scar around my expanding middle.  They used a total of 99 staples to close the incisions.  Why not go for 100?  The surgeon said I would have an area about the size of a small football below my ribcage & above my waist where I would no longer have any feeling because they would have to sever nerves that would not recover.  So, I have a legitimate excuse for not sucking in my belly.  But I am still here! 

All of this is to say whether it is a growing earthquake swarm, an unexpected medical condition, an accident or any unforeseen event; the best way to live in this uncertain world is to have a daily life of gratitude for the blessings we have and live each moment of each day with love for our family, friends and anyone else we encounter.  That is the best way to prepare for whatever, ‘The Big One’ may be!

 

 

25,550 days and counting...

In a few days I will have another one of those birthdays with a zero.  There are certain birthdays that seem to capture our attention more than others.  I remember my 15^th birthday because I could get my driver’s license learner’s permit.  I remember 18 because that meant that I could vote, get drafted & buy beer.  It wound up not being such a big deal.  I didn’t get drafted or buy beer however I voted in the presidential election for the first time in my life but the president I voted for is the only one in history to quit.  Oh well!  Other birthdays had some significance here and there.  I never really thought about getting older until I turned 50.  Living half a century got my attention.  This was my ‘wake-up call’ that my years of life were rapidly moving along.  Turning 65 was noteworthy because I qualified for Medicare.  But 70…there is a Psalm that deals with the 70^th birthday.  The 90^th Psalm is a prayer of Moses that’s probably the oldest Psalm in the Bible.  Moses lived long past 70, in fact the Bible tells us that Moses died at the age of 120.  However, he wrote in Psalm 90:10; “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.’  This is an interesting observation for someone for whom 70 years is just a little past the halfway point in his life. 

It may have been that 70 for Moses was similar to my 50.  Perhaps this was the time when Moses first began to grasp how quickly life seems to pass.  Each of us has a point when we realize that our time on earth is brief and fleeting.  One day my grandmother put pen to paper and reflected on her life as she pondered memories, both good and bad, of her life.  She was known for her writing talent.  I inherited the writing bug from her.  My cousin compiled a collection of her writing in a book that her children and grandchildren continue to treasure.  Today I refer to this particular writing where she looked back at the life she had seen and experienced thinking, as did Moses, how even in the best times there is always trouble and sorrow.  She wrote about how she hated thinking of leaving this life.  She was a woman of great faith and knew Heaven waited but she felt impressed to speak of the blessings and difficulties she had seen and the loved ones she would miss.  She was 65 when she put her feelings on paper.  She didn’t know that she would live another 33 years until the age of 98 but this seemed to be a time of significance in the way she viewed life from that point on. 

Moses may have been at a similar place in his thoughts and observations about life.  A couple of verses later he declares the importance of knowing that our days of life are numbered.   Like it or not, there is a specific number of days to each life.  We don’t know the number of days we will live but each of us has a certain number of days to our life and then it will end.  I often have said that I would like to know the number of my days.  As I approach the last few days, I would do nothing but eat Oreos and ice cream.  Obviously, that is a foolish way to look at making the most of one’s last days.  It would be much wiser to spend those days enjoying time with loved ones. 

Moses states in verse 12, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”   A heart of wisdom comes from knowing that our days are numbered.  It matters not that we don’t know the number of our days.  Realizing that our number of days are limited should make us realize that we need to make the most of each day and not waste any time.  The days can’t be reclaimed once they pass.  Usually, we don't number our days; we number our years. When you have a birthday and someone asks how old you are, you tell them your age in the number of years. But true spiritual wisdom comes from numbering our days, because we live a day at a time.  We don’t know that we will have tomorrow but we know that we have today.  God has ordained that the entire universe functions a day at a time.  Jesus taught us to pray for God to, “Give us this day our daily bread" (Matt. 6:11).  

A heart of wisdom lives each day as if it could be the last…because it could be.  We may realize that our days are numbered but we don’t know when that last number/day will arrive.  It could be years from now or moments away.  Therefore, we need to treat each moment as precious, fragile and fleeting.  That means treating everyone we encounter each day in the same fashion.  We never know if this will be the last day we will have with them.  If You knew today would be the last day you would have with a loved one or friend, wouldn’t you make that day/moment as positive as possible?  Who would want to have their last day with anyone as a day of anger or frustration?  So, since we don’t know the number of our last day, or that of anyone else, a heart of wisdom leads us to make the most of every opportunity to make the day as happy and pleasant as possible.  A heart of wisdom treats each day and each person we encounter that day as cherished and valued. 

As I approach my 25,550^th day (70 years x 365 days…I may be a product of the Mississippi public school system but I can still do basic multiplication), I am going to try my best to make the most of each day.  Wouldn’t the world be better if we all did that?  A heart of wisdom teaches me to love, appreciate and treasure each moment and each person I encounter as I number each precious day.