Most of us have wondered about life beyond the grave. Many today are in search of life before the grave. Given what many people traditionally believe about heaven, eternity and life beyond, it would certainly seem very valuable to think about a life beyond. However, what about life here?
The Ukrainian people wake up every day to fight, survive or hide another day. They fight for life and freedom. Why? Life and freedom are worth something.
How much are life and freedom worth? What does it mean to you to hug your spouse or loved one? How much do you enjoy laughing with family, friends or at a funny tv show? How good does it feel to do something you enjoy? Cooking a meal, music, reading, your faith assembly, grandkids or enjoying a sunny or rainy day. Life is living and enjoying our living.
God didn’t make us to be miserable. We make ourselves miserable. Sickness makes us miserable. Addictions destroy us and others. Death of the people we love zaps us and creates major voids in our lives. Yet, life can only be lived forward and often this is where we get stuck. Too often we put our cars in park and start watching the world go by us. We look in the rear-view mirror. Life is whizzing by, and we can’t seem to get our foot back on the accelerator to start moving again. This becomes a very stagnate and unhappy way to live. Actually, it’s not a life at all.
Living before you die must have some routine. Go to work. Go someplace. Do something. It doesn’t have to be exotic or glorious. Often routine is the same thing every day. There is some peace in routine. When our routine and entire lives are shaken, like what is happening in Ukraine, then every minute is about surviving another day.
Survival mode for you may be doctor’s visits. Making a plan for the next five years or year of your life. Reconnecting to some family or a friend or two. Making peace with the past and embracing today.
The key word for life is hope. Peace is another key word, but peace doesn’t exist without hope. If we have hope, we can look forward to life. We hope we have enough health. We hope we have enough money. The people of Ukraine have hope they can overcome Russia. This keeps many of them going. Many have fled the country in search of hope.
Find the hope you need to embrace the rest of your life. Hope in family, friends, hobbies and much more is good. Just be very aware, even they may disappoint you. Mainly, find hope in you. God didn’t make junk. Too often, life, events, mistakes, and sometimes even people we are close to make it difficult for us to see our worth and it tarnishes our spirit.
Hope is an inside job that starts now.
