Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Living Fully


Do you feel your life is all it can be? Do you yearn for life to be fuller? A friend once recited this poem to me:
There once was a cautious gal, who never romped or played;
She never drank, she never smoked, from the path she never strayed.
So when she passed away the insurance was denied;
For since she never really lived they claimed she never died!
Of course, I don’t think these behaviors describe quality living, but I do think most people want to experience life as fully as possible. This has always been the case. Even two thousand years ago, Jesus, that great lover of life from Galilee, recognized our universal yearning for life when he said, “I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

And, of course, “romping,” “playing,” and “straying from the path” have little to do with how fully one experiences life. Abundant living is more about how we love the other people on this planet, how we care for ourselves and how well we honor our God. It has to do with joy and laughter, kindness, forgiveness and peace. It means taking time for what is truly necessary.

One man was asked if he believed in life after death. His wife spoke first. “Life after death?” she said. “He doesn’t even believe in life after dinner!”

I believe in life after death. But I also believe in life before death. Abundant and full and beginning today.

-- Steve Goodier


Image: flickr.com/Matt B