A Righteous Man

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."

Luke 23:44-49 NLT

A Matter of Perception

The following story illustrates that life is clearly a matter of perception:

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.  They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad!"

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yes!" replied the son.

"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered,  "I saw that we have one dog and they had four.  We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.  We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.  Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.  We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.  We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

The boy’s father was speechless. 

Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."


This wise young man saw clearly what his father apparently did not that his own family was in fact the truly "poor" people.

Life is really a matter of perception. It is what we choose to see and what choose to make of it.

Yesterday, while I was on a popular social networking website, I saw a "status" posted by a young man recounting some of the events which have occured his life so far this year:

-His grandmother died.
-He had his heart severely broken by a woman.
-One of his cars was wrecked.
-He had to re-live the murders of his friends during a recent trial.
-One of his cars was stolen.
-He received orders back to the war-torn Middle East for the 9th time.
-And finally, as if all that wasn't enough, he was held up at gunpoint yesterday for $40 while waiting at the drive-in of a local fastfood restaurant.

No one could argue, he sure has had more than his fair share of adversities so far this year, but I couldn't help to wonder if he realizes how incredily blessed he's been as well.

-He was blessed with a grandmother who he obviously loved dearly. How many are out there in this world alone, without anyone here on Earth to care for them?

-While his latest love relationship didn't work out for him as he would have liked it to, he was blessed with knowing what it is like to love someone deeply. In the wake of the end of the relationship, he was also blessed with the support of many caring people.

-He was blessed with the means to own a car, something many of us take for granted each day in a world where there are still people who must walk miles each day for the most basic of human necessities - water.

-He is blessed by his very life. He is alive. He may have lost $40 yesterday, but he walked away with his life. He has survived numerous deployments to war-torn areas of this world and has returned alive each time. Wow! What a blessing! I know of one young Marine who didn't make it through the first day of his very first deployment.

When life throws fast and furious curveballs our way, it is so easy to lose sight of the many blessing which have also been bestowed on us.

We must never forget, our life is all a matter of how we choose to perceive it .

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Today's Mission: To Live and To Love

Earlier this morning, while I was listening to my favorite radio station, KLOVE, I heard the song We Live by Superchick from their album Beauty From Pain 1.1. (You can click on the album link to the left and listen to the song online if you scroll down that page a bit.)

This is the first verse of the song:

There’s a cross on the side of the road
Where a mother lost a son
How could she know that morning he left
Would be the last time she’d trade with him for a little more time
So she could say she loved him one more time
And hold him tight
But with life we never know
When we’re coming to the end of the road
So what do we do then
With tragedy around the bend?

Life is cerainly like that, isn't it? We don't know from one moment to the next whether there will even be a next moment for ourselves or those we love.

The following is an excerpt from an article by Deanna Mascle which speaks well about the importance of living and loving everyday to our fullest capacity:

If you knew today was your last day then what would you do? I'm not suggesting you quit your job, tell off the neighbors or stop paying your bills, but rather to look at the areas of your life that matter most to you. You know what they are and while there are certainly common areas they are also as individual as humans. Do more every day to appreciate and enjoy the people and activities that make your life worth living.

How often do you tell those closest to you how much they matter to you? Do you say "I love you" every day? When did you last embrace the person that is nearest to your heart? When did you last simply spend time together?

Treat yourself well at least once a day. I do not mean you need to splurge and buy yourself a present every day, but rather to give yourself some time every day to relax and enjoy life whether it is reading a book, watching the sunset, or snuggling with your dog.

What regrets would you have and what dreams would be unfulfilled? Remember, putting off your hopes and wishes for future years can well mean you never give them a chance. Find a way to follow your dreams and live the life you desire.

Finally, take a look at your life and root out the causes of your distress and unhappiness. No matter whether you live one day, one year, or one hundred years, life is simply too short to spend it with people you do not like and/or doing things that make you unhappy. Change your life now and may your next 100 years be filled with joy.

Live every day as if it were your last and make sure to tell and show your loved ones how much you care, treat yourself well, pursue your dreams, and jettison the life-wasting debris in your life. May we all live our lives to the fullest.

So that, my friends, is our mission for today: TO LIVE & TO LOVE. Remember, every day we have on this Earth is a gift. Hug your children, as they head out the door (yes, even your teenager's, they only pretend to hate it), tell someone who's had an impact on your life how much they've meant to you, be kinder than necessary never forgetting everyone is fighting their own battles and if you see a stranger without a smile, give him one of yours. Oh, and thank your Maker while you're at it... He never get's tired of hearing from you!

Each and every one of you is very special to me!
((((HUGS))) to you all!

~Garica