“Consider the dash between when you were born and when you will die and live it well,” my pastor challenged as he closed his message Sunday morning.
Like him, I want to make my dash count. I don’t always succeed. But as I thought about the challenge, a popular slogan came to mind.
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”
That sounds good, but I think it’s misleading when you consider Ecc 8:15. “A man has nothing better under the sun than t eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life.”
In other words, if I measure life by breathtaking moments, I miss the wonder of ordinary moments. Let’s face it. Eating, drinking and breathing seems pretty ordinary, but nothing is further from the truth. Each of these are vital to life.
Success isn’t vital to life.
A big house isn’t vital to life.
Riches, popularity or honor are not vital to life.
Consider king Solomon. He had it all! He said, “I have not withheld from my heart any pleasure.” His life was anything but ordinary. I’m sure he experience some breathtaking moments. Yet, he concluded, “It was all meaningless.”
I think Solomon’s message to us is to find enjoyment in the ordinary things. Doing life by eating, drinking and being merry with our family, friends and neighbors is what matters most. Bigger isn’t always better. More isn’t always greater. Busier doesn’t make us important. There is nothing miraculous in those things. But every breath you and I take is a miraculous miracle!
Rather than looking for meaning in breathing taking moments, I want to find meaning in every breath and make every breath meaningful. And perhaps I just might live well between the dash.
Donna B says
Loved this Micca. Thanks for the reminder. Praying for your Pastor and his family. And for you too as you come alongside and pour into him and his family. Praying for God to fill you with his grace, mercy, compassion, kindness, and love so that you flood others with Him! Love ya and so grateful for you!
Anisha Hall says
Wow, I didn’t realize I thought that way..but I do, thinking that I needed to achieve great things in my career and become everything for everybody in order to be considered “successful” in this life (or in other words, to be worthy of being welcomed home to God as a “good and faithful servant”). Though I realize that achieving our potential is all that God could hope for us, I think my vision of my potential is off track of what God’s vision of my potential is. I need to do some re-evaluating. He wants me to be grateful, and endure well, and I want to be a star in everything. When it doesn’t happen, I doubt Him, I doubt His plan for me, and I feel like a fraud. Thank you for helping me realize I don’t have to be traveling through life at a million miles a minute, trying to do everything, and be successful at everything. If you could explain what God’s definition of “success” is, I’d appreciate it, though I have a feeling that He doesn’t have a “bar” for me to reach as I do.
Best wishes,
Anisha