Dear Simon, I was reminded today how quickly time flies by and not a second or moment should ever go wasted. Exactly a year ago today, God called you to go up and sit alongside Him in Heaven, and you are dearly missed by so many. Whenever I think of you, I am always challenged to live my life to the fullest because that was exactly what you did and you did it so well! When I looked up at the sky and clearly saw with my own two eyes what a beautiful day it was, I couldn’t understand why my spirit felt so burdened and heavy today. There was not a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining brightly and a cool breeze brushed up against my face, but I couldn’t shake off the weariness lingering in the air. I continued to pray throughout the day and asked the Father to reveal what this unexplainable feeling was. As I spoke with different people throughout the day, I started to gather some idea of what it could be. However, I was still left confused. Then later in the evening some of your friends and our family had a small get together to celebrate our memories of you, and we all laughed and cried together sharing all of our unique stories. When your memorial gathering ended, I started walking the streets of Pasadena still feeling the same heaviness. Then suddenly, a man named Bob, who was comfortably sitting on the sidewalk, gently interrupted me. “Have a good one” was all he said, and I just walked right past him. But something in me knew I needed to turn around and talk to him. After a little bit of “Should I… or shouldn’t I…” I decided to take a moment and hear his story. From a simple conversation, a short walk to the nearest restaurant, and a time of prayer, I learned that Bob loves the Lord SO MUCH! In the eyes of the world, he may not have any possessions to show his worth, but he clearly knew his self-worth because of his GREAT FAITH in God. He knew he was a beloved son of the Father up above and nothing can steal that away from him. Bob may not have riches here on this earth, but it was so clear he is going to be one of the richest men up in heaven!!! After the unexpected divine appointment, I was driving home and suddenly found myself weeping all the way home. All the heaviness I felt throughout the day was now streaming down my face, and the only thing running through my mind was… “Man, this is so hard! Life is so hard!” That’s when it dawned on me that I was feeling the burden of our Heavenly Father. He mourns for our souls day and night because He loves us so much and wants the best for each and every one of us. The BEST is right in front of us, and all we need to do is receive the eternal gift He has placed in our hands, but we often choose to replace it with instant gratification, fluff, pride, fear, loneliness; things that either cloud our mind of the REAL prize up in Heaven or darken our soul with lies told by the enemy. And for some of us who have received the eternal gift become so consumed with our day to day (work, school, family, friends, marriage, kids and so on) that we forget to simply love even our worst enemy, find joy even in the mist of our struggles, be patient with the person that cuts us off on the fwy, find peace even in chaos, be kind to a stranger on the street, and extend grace to those who offend us. Bob is a perfect example of someone who simply has faith and trust in the Lord even when worldly possessions were taken away. There was no blame or shame weighing him down. He was thankful the Lord provided for him each day. TIME IS PRECIOUS & LIFE IS SO SHORT! And looking back, I now know you knew that...really knew it! Because you lived it with so much joy and passion and with no regret. We will never know when our possessions will be taken away or when we will be called to join you and the Father in heaven. And today was such a great reminder to me that we cannot aimlessly live our lives. We need to live it with GREAT PURPOSE…with CLEAR VISION!!! Thank you for having been an amazing cousin when you walked this earth, and thank you for continuing to watch over me during my good days and especially my bad ones! You are so loved and you have left a colorful imprint on so many lives. Give God a high-five for me :). With Love, Sarah From my heart to yours #3:
It’s easy to get caught up with things and be distracted by the busyness of life, but lets remember to take a moment, actually take many moments, to reflect on our actions. Are we making compromises when we should be living life with integrity? Are we passing judgment on others when we should be loving them because we are just as messed up as they are? Are we pointing fingers at others when we should humbly serve and help one another? Are we being lazy when we should be fighting the good fight because let’s face it…we live in a tough world? I am definitely guilty of falling short more often than I would like, but because of God’s grace I am able to redirect my focus and renew my mind each and every day. As I stumble along the way and make some mistakes here and there, I’m choosing to live this short life with a PURPOSE to love without discrimination and with a MISSION to empower others to discover their true nature and beauty. What is your vision and are you willing to persevere even during the most trying times? |
Author
I'm using this space to simply share the meaningful things that burn my heart and the random things that run through my mind. Simply desiring more vulnerability and authenticity in my life. Categories
All
Archives
March 2020
|