Full Life

I just read a news report that Nepal had a terrible Earthquake. One person said they were drinking tea at noon when the quake hit. It reminded me that within a moment we can go from joy to despair in the blink of an eye. Sadly people will die all around the world today. Well aren’t you Mr. Sunshine Patrick. What it means to me is that in this moment we need to live a full life.

Just this month I have tickets to a NHL playoff game, tickets to Rush, Taylor Swift, and Madonna. I am in a bowling tournament. I write, preach, and work hard. My life is beyond full. Some people say “Slow down you’re going to kill yourself.” I say fill your life up because you only have this life to live. In a moment, like in Nepal, life can turn upside down. A life is meant to be full of many things. We can never know how long we have to enjoy the life given by God.

Being too busy can be bad for your health, I get that. Filling your time with stuff is so good for you. Where did all the time go? Why not stop and smell the roses? Go smell the roses on a trip. I am all for giving money away to special charities. We give 10% to those in need. I also give 10% to our lives so that we too are happy and having fun while were still here on earth. I know way too many people just living day to day.

What does God have to say about Time? Read Ecclesiastics 3 and see the definition of time. Solomon basically says there is a time for everything under the sun. There was a song put out several years ago called “Wear Sunscreen.” It challenged students to live full lives after they graduate. God says “Yes” we cry and hurt but we also love and laugh. God made this place to be lived in. Far too many people think this earth is hell. That is not what creation was made for.

I know some people have the misfortune of living in poverty. They don’t get nice clothes, or go on fancy trips to Hawaii. What do they have? Well they have the life that is given to them. Chuck Swindol is quoted as saying “Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.”

The time is now to live. I have a full life of loving, giving, and spending money, time, and energy on the things that matter. People either say they have nothing, do nothing, or they have everything and use it only for themselves. We need to express our lives to others. Show them the right way to live. Give and encourage those in need. Buy yourself a chocolate bar now and then just because you are important too.

In Christian circles there is a thought that we should not enjoy this life. All that we have been provided with (by God) is fleshly sinful desires. If God provided it then how on earth can it be sin? Do you really think Jesus did not play baseball, listen to music, or workout to stay healthy? Would Jesus drink a pop, go to McDonalds, or see a movie? Most Christians would say no but they say he went to parties where they drank. God is not who you think he is. Life is meant to be lives abundantly. What Jesus did in three years is insane: that was a full life.

These days are full of earthquakes, bad economy, and war. Isn’t this earth bad enough without us making it worse? Can a poor person serve, paint, or clean up the land? Can a rich person give more, make a better community, and lead well with the money they have been given? We all have one life to live. We can love better, care better, and give better. There is a time for everything says the Bible: a time to have fun in Disneyland and a time to care enough to help in a food bank. What does your day look like in the time you have left?

Faith comes alive