I am tired of buying sympathy cards.
In the last week, we’ve bought four sympathy cards. In that same week, we’ve heard about three other deaths – outside of the four we are sending cards for.
It’s been a long week.
In the same week, I’ve convinced my husband to start hanging up pictures in our house. We moved back to Nebraska three weeks ago and are so happy to be back to the Good Life. We are living in Hayes Center – a town of 215 people – and are renting a duplex with a 6-month lease. Because of our short lease, it might be silly to hang pictures on the wall. Why put forth the effort when it will all have to be taken down and moved again in a few months?
At this point you are probably questioning me, and how am I going to get these two topics to relate. Stick with me; we will get there.
One of the toughest things I’ve heard in my 25 years is that this is not our home. This place – earth – where we live, where we were born, where we were raised, where we spend all of our days, is not our home. We may have homes here, we may be comfortable here, we may even love the life we live here, but this is not our Home.
Death is part of everyone’s life at some point, whether we experience the death of a loved one, of a friend or we ourselves die, at some point, death will affect us.
But, just because death will come, and we will experience it, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our best to make the most of the time we do have. We should love deeply, even those who might be on the downward swing, we should still get to know the people around us, we should still spend time with friends and family. This life is not permanent, but we should enjoy this life we have.
And that is why I hang pictures on the wall for 6 months. Pictures remind me of the special people I have in my life, of those still with us and of those who have moved on. Those pictures are always reminding me to love this life and to live this life with all I have. Those pictures bring me joy. They help me enjoy where I am.
This house I’m currently living in might not be my permanent home — or even my permanent earthly home — but it is where I’m at right now.
I cannot keep waiting and wishing for bigger and better things, I cannot keep putting off experiencing the life I have right now because if I do, I’m going to miss out. When I put things off until tomorrow, until next week, until next month, or until 2021 (because we all 2020 has been a psychotic mess and we are all ready for it to be over!), I’m missing out on today. I’m missing out on the right now.
If I don’t take the time to go see and spend time with my friends and family, I may never get another chance. If I don’t take a second to send a text letting someone know I love them and I’m praying for them, I may not get the next opportunity to do so.
So, live for today. Do what you can to make today, wherever you are, in whatever situation you are in, great. Spread love. Show peace. Text someone, you love them. And hang the pictures on the wall. We are never promised a tomorrow, so stop putting off your life until the next Fill-In-The-Blank.
And, for those who have passed recently: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”
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