Love Your Life

What does choosing to stay alive under the threat of death mean?

In philosophical terms, it means I have confronted my own death. I  acknowledge that one day, perhaps even this day, I will no longer walk the earth, or type my thoughts on a white screen. In death, I will be, but not here. In spiritual terms, I again, acknowledge and accept the facts that I did not choose the day I was conceived, nor the date and year of my birth and I most certainly, will not be choosing the day I exit this world and enter the next.

I am choosing to live as though I will die, and as though this truth does not influence my approach to living, other than of course, loving what I have and praising God for all of it! 

Abrasive noose

I know. I can sense and feel what the enemy wants from me, from you, from every other human that God selected to be in existence in this point of his story. The murderous one wants me to not only believe that he is in charge of my life and death, but also my comings and goings. He wants me to feel abrasive noose threads bound into rope, wrapped round my throat. He wants me to capitulate to the idea that I am going to die, with him in charge of the when, where, why and how. Ha ... he knows better, and so do I!

A package deal

Dear reader, life, death, they are two peas in a pod. They are a package deal. You can't have one without the other. But I tell you what, I live my life fully, grateful, cheerful, and filled with awe over God's creation. I say nay to the wicked one and his slithery sneaking friends. I look death bravely in the face and say I see you, and you are not the boss of me. I will live as though I will always exist, and it will be in the glorious presence of my Heavenly Father. 

As an alien in this world, I am travelling through, visiting, seeing the sights, and savouring my choices to live, truly live, despite the veiled and more often then not, in our current violent environment, spoken death threats uttered by the lowly that have not the creative ability to come up with something novel. 

God created life, and death was pronounced as a surety way back when in a garden called Eden: God Almighty declared it, not Satan. The thief can only steal and lie, he cannot create ... God determines the when, the where, the why, and the how, and always has. 

... but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (Genesis 2:17)

Reasons for living

If you were to plead your case in front of a panel of judges, for why you should be selected over someone else to survive, what would you come up with? Without giving too many details, this was an intensely emotional experience that I had the pleasure of having, about seven years ago. I witnessed 20 or so people stating their reasons for being selected for survival, and a couple of people that had a martyr like complex, that feigned nobility by saying they would sacrifice their spot for someone else to live.

I can say with confidence that the pretend martyrs were fakes. I learned from much time spent in their company, they were amongst the most selfish and self-absorbed people I had ever met! (Did reading this feel a bit like deja vu?)

Pick me

Okay back to you, and your pick-me-to-stay speech. What would you say to convince others that you have more of a right to live than the guy or gal next to you?

It is quite a moral conundrum, is it not, dear reader? If you are wondering what I said, it doesn't really matter. While I can recall most of my own pick-me reasoning, it sounded like drivel slopping out onto the listeners. I cannot completely recall what others said, but you can imagine what some of the arguments were. What I do recall is one answer, that captured the imagination of all present. 

Each participant had a time limit to make their plea ... she sat, eyes glistening brightly, facial expression unchanging, wordlessly looking at her audience. The room grew very still and soft. She looked angelic and transmitted a peacefulness that I have rarely experienced. We waited while she took her time, anticipating what she might say and realizing it felt different from those that had gone before her. With elegance and ease, she finally spoke these simple words,

"I want to live"

Love your life

This young women had witnessed horrendous events in her short life time. She saw tragedy and was desirous of living, despite what she had been exposed to. She had an unquenchable flame, and she was not pleading to preserve what she knew was already hers. She wasn't asking anyone for anything. She made a statement. 

With her desire to live, she would make a most wonderful life partner, companion, friend, wife, mother. She would speak life into those that perhaps, wanted to give up on theirs. Her confidence won the hearts and minds of those that sat transfixed, soaking up her graceful gentility. She displayed dignity and I am wondering, dear one,  if we can return to this way? Is it possible to declare we want to live, without begging and pleading with a panel of judges that care not for our reasoning? nor are they the ones to whom we ought to make our plea. 

I want to live

I want to live ... and dear reader, I shall, in rich and wonderful ways, no matter what is subtly or savagely suggested from those that would have me believe that they determine my destiny. I will go with God all the days of this life, without fear. 

What about you?

You can choose to love your life!