All Around The World
To borrow a line from one of my favorite songwriters… “When I was younger, so much younger than today…” I was morbidly afraid of dying young. My mom passed away when I was ten. Having been with her when she died brought unpleasant and painful memories that are still a part of me.
Watching someone you love die is always terribly painful… the hurt never really goes away. Being ten makes it even worse; your fragile childhood world breaks into so many pieces and never, ever gets put back together.
From then into my 20s and even my 30s, I worried about dying young. Every unexplained pain was a potentially fatal disease. Driven by the fear of dying young, I ate well, exercised, and ran three miles a day.
Now, I am an old man. I’ll admit it. I couldn’t die young if I wanted to. But being closer to that long dark tunnel doesn’t scare me. It’s going to get me some time; whether that’s today, tomorrow, or ten years from now, it is what it is.
It’s something we all have to do, like eating, sleeping, or going to the bathroom. You know what I mean. It’s part of life. And all around the world, people are born, and people die; all around the universe, stars are born, and stars die. The world turns from sunlight to darkness to sunlight again.
Death is the one great equalizer. It matters not how rich, wealthy, or beautiful you are; two hundred years from now, we’ll all be the same, all around the world.
I try to make every day count. I don’t always succeed. Sometimes I find myself wasting time, and sometimes I waste time by looking back. However, I don’t think reflection is a waste of time. I think it’s a good thing.
Just today, I was thinking about how lucky I am to have two great kids, a wife who loves me, and a job that allows me to meet and help so many wonderful people from all around the world. People from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe, and all over the USA.
And it’s true, as two other favorite songwriters said… “People are the same wherever you go…”
So, yes, I’m old, but I don’t fear the Grim Reaper. He’ll come in his own good time. I’ve got so much to be thankful for: my kids, my loved ones, and my friends all around the world.
And, come to think of it, I don’t have to worry about dying young… after all.
I like to think of the ‘Grim Reaper’ not as an evil spirit or some Halloween character, but the hand of the one, true God. God created us knowing when our last day on earth would be before we took our first breath. he knew every good day we’d have and every devastating blow we’d experience along our journey. Our God wants us to come to Him with trust and thankfulness for His forgiveness of our sins. That makes all the difference when our lives are nearing ‘the end’. People who have developed a relationship with the one, true God have nothing to fear and know that a better life awaits. Those who have refused God’s invitation for forgiveness and eternal life may be anxious for the future. We all have pretty much been told how that will play out. Instead, my hope is looking into the face of Jesus on my last day, as he calls me to his side with a smile.