For most of my life, I have associated death with those who are elderly and have lived a long, full life. Lately, that association has lost its relevance as many that I know who have passed away were quite young. In my perspective, they seemed to have the rest of their lives ahead of them.

Maybe like me, you watched the celebration of life earlier today for Kobe and Gianna Bryant. 

One thing, in particular, stood out to me from their lives along with those we have known personally who passed away recently. In what seems like was a brief journey on earth, each of them lived a FULL life. Between the impact their lives had on others and the passions they pursued, it was as if they lived for an entire lifetime. What a legacy!

It has left me astounded and inspired.

It also has me thinking. How often do we put off things in our lives because we convince ourselves that we don’t have the time for it right now or because we let fear or some other excuse stop us in our tracks? How often do we tell ourselves: I’ll get to it when _____.

Proverbs 6:4 (NLT) reminds us: “Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.”

These young lives challenge me to look at what I’m doing with my time here on earth. Without a doubt, time is a gift. Are we using it to say what we’re supposed to say and to do what we’re supposed to do? Are we living the abundant life that the Lord has promised us?

May the prayer of our hearts be: “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12 NLT)

Tell your loved ones what they mean to you. Spend time with the ones you care about. Use your gifts to point others to God and His amazing love. 

And just as Erma Bombeck said, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’.”
~Joyce

Photo Credit: Ricky Kharawala on Unsplash