Are You Numb?
Posted By: Nick Hoag
How often do we become 'numb' to life? How often do the routine and the mundane dull our senses to God's 'in-everything' reality? How often do we miss the incredible blessing in 'the basics' - that breath, and food, and fun, and life are all gifts from our Creator? How often do we buy into the idea that we just need to wade through the squalor of this life, bide our time, and gut it out until eternity? How often do we miss the beauty and purpose of the 'now' for grand memories of the past or grand hopes for the future? The answer (for me) is far too often.
About 15 minutes ago I finished reading a fantastic book by @PastorChrisSeay called "The Gospel According to Lost". If you know me then you undoubtedly know I'm a Lost fanatic and I've been touting this book for the past couple of months. In the final chapter Mr. Seay tells a story. His friend Kyle, pastor of a church in Waco, TX, was preparing to lead his community in the celebration of the baptism of some young folks at his church. Then tragedy struck and Kyle was electrocuted and killed during the baptismal service. He did not get to preach his message that morning, but his sermon was found tucked away in his Bible. This is what the conclusion had to say:
Live. And Live Well.
Breathe. Breathe in and breathe deeply. Be present. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now.
On a crystal clear, breezy seventy-degree day, roll down the windows and feel the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun.
If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool autumn day to freeze your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be alive.
Get knee-deep in a novel and lose track of time.
If you bike, pedal hard...and if you crash, then crash well.
Feel the satisfaction of a job well done - a paper well written, a project thoroughly completed, a play well performed.
If you must wipe the snot from your three-year old's nose, don't be disgusted if the Kleenex didn't catch it all...because soon he'll be wiping his own.
If you've recently experienced loss, then grieve. And grieve well.
At the table with friends and family, laugh. If you're eating and laughing at the same time, then you might as well laugh until you puke. And if you eat, then smell. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven. And taste. Taste every ounce of life. Because it is most definitely a gift.
So let's live, and live well.
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Reply #1 on : Sun June 20, 2010, 21:03:46
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