Christian Living

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Are you living a life that matters
By Chaplain Dan Langerock


Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.

All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass
to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.

So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived, at the end. It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured? What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave. What will matter is not your success, but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will
feel a lasting loss when you're gone. What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a
matter of circumstance but of choice. Choose to live a life that matters. Author Unknown

We are so busy in our lives that we must consciously think of what we are leaving behind to others when we die. We get in the habit of just living for the moment and not thinking about how we will be remembered.

As we come to the holidays and the end of the year, what are you thankful for? Are there grudges that need your attention to resolve so you don’t carry them into the next year? What is the spiritual example and legacy you will leave for your family and friends? Is it something you can be proud of or would rather not discuss?

The author above thought about his or her remembrance and did something positive in life to make sure it was a good memory to leave behind. You can choose to let grudges and other unpleasant memories rule your life, that is your choice, but it is not the best one. You are only hurting yourself by doing this, and probably having a rotten life because of it.

The past cannot be undone, for it is gone forever, but your future can be better if you will attend to the things in your life that will eventually hurt you in every way, if they have not already. This can include physical sickness if you let it go long enough.

Can you honestly say it is worth carrying all that hurt around with you? You are not alone if you choose to forgive and shed the baggage you have carried so long. God will help you, but you must be honest with yourself, God, and others—and then be willing to start over by “emptying the slate” of what is written there that is hurting you and your relationships. Won’t you start the year 2004 with forgiveness so you can have a wonderful life in lieu of a strife-filled existence? Let God help you as you forgive or accept others forgiveness. It can be a wonderful life when you choose to forgive.

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