LIFE - There it is, do you see it? Right in the middle of life is a big "IF". I am not a philosopher and I don't profess to have all the answers. I know that I'm not the only one who has ever faced heartache and disappointment. I notice things differently now and as I look over my shoulder I see a lot of "ifs" in life. I suppose that everyone goes through life wondering about the "ifs". But it's like the old saying, "If ifs and buts were candy and nuts we would all have a Merry Christmas" The what ifs of life can't change a thing. We live our lives learning from mistakes and learning to appreciate all things we took for granted.
I am 53 years old and on this date, thirty six years ago, I felt the call on my life to preach the gospel. I preached my very first sermon the next night on August 8, 1971 at the young age of seventeen. I remember it like it was yesterday and I even remember the text and the sermon title. I also remember that my brother Bob, who recently passed away, along with his wife Joyce went with me to the church and heard me preach my first sermon.
I find it incredible how quickly life on this earth is passing by and how before you know it the biggest part of it is over. Like a race horse out of the gate we take off with a blast and it seems the finish line is so far down the road. Yet we suddenly find ourselves going down the stretch the last leg of the mile.
One thing it does for you is to make you slow down and smell the roses. You learn not to take anything for granted. You learn who your friends truly are. You learn that a lot of things are not worth the time or effort to worry about or to lose sleep over.
Someone recently sent me an email that I thought summed things up so well.
"As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.
You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You’ll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.
You’ll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love.
So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.
Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin."
